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VOL. 39 NO. 178 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

Final

ABU-JAMAL SET FOR NEW APPEAL HEARING The decades-old Philadelphia week, but lawyers say it may murder case of Mumia Abu-Jamal still be years before it’s resolved. is set for another appeal this SEE PAGE 3.

OBAMA: WEAK ECONOMY DROVE ELECTION OUTCOME SEE PAGE 2

DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

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NEWS BRIEFS Obama: Weak economy drove election outcome YOUNG “LION KING” ACTRESS REMEMBERED LOVINGLY AT FUNERAL Family and members of the Broadway community gathered yesterday for the funeral of Shannon Tavarez, the 11-year-old girl who played Nala in “The Lion King” before being diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year.

Taverez died last week at a Long Island children’s hospital due to complications from the disease.

A massive search for a bone marrow donor was held throughout the city but no match was found. Over the summer, she received a umbilical-cord blood transplant.

“I ride the trains we used to ride together. I now ride them alone. I sing the songs we used to sing together, but my voice is nowhere as sweet as yours,” said her grandfather Dennis Shaw. “I yearn for the day when I would hear your laughter as I search for your radiant smile.”

“I could honestly say I loved her like she was my sister,” said Marquis Rodriguez, who starred as Young Simba in “The Lion King.” “And I’m so sad. I wanted to protect her from anything and this is the one thing that I couldn’t. I love you so much Shannon.”

Family and friends say they will continue to recruit people to enter the bone marrow registry.

CITY TEAMS UP WITH RETAILER TO IMPROVE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE RATES Some city students are reaping the rewards of staying in school.

A total of 300 students from 25 schools across the five boroughs are participating in a special Attendance Drive.

The city partnered with Old Navy to encourage students not to miss class.

Students with the best or most improved attendance records get a $50 gift card, which they can use to buy clothes for school.

Students who participate, however, are required to sign the pledge of attendance before they shop.

“If they’re not in school we’re not going to able to educate our students, it’s just that simple. We have some students missing 30 days, 35, even 40 days out of the year. If you cut that in half, you’ll see the impact that has on their academic performance, on dropout rates, and on other things,” said Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.

New York Mets All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes was at the event, cheering the students on and encouraging them to go to class.

BROOKLYN MAN CAUGHT IN NORTH CAROLINA TO BE EXTRADITED ON MURDER CHARGES A Brooklyn man wanted in a deadly shooting at a Manhattan diner last month will be extradited to New York, after he was caught by police at a basketball game in North Carolina this weekend.

Police arrested Earle Barranco at a Charlotte Bobcats game Saturday. The arrest took place without incident at the Time Warner Cable Arena.

Barranco is accused of gunning down Corey Scott at the Good Stuff Diner on 14th Street in Chelsea in the early morning hours on October 23rd.

By CAREN BOHAN WASHINGTON — Big election losses suffered by Democrats were “first and foremost” a reflection of the economy’s weakness rather than a wholesale rejection of his policies, President Barack Obama said on Sunday .

“The party in power was held responsible for an economy that is still underperforming and where a lot of folks are still hurting,” Obama told the CBS program “60 Minutes” in an interview.

In what he has described as a “shellacking,” Republicans racked up huge victories in last week’s congressional elections, capturing the House of Representatives and increasing their numbers in the Senate.

Pressed on Republican assertions that the vote was a rejection of his agenda, Obama replied: “I think first and foremost, it was a referendum on the economy.”

Obama, who flew on Friday to India for the start of a 10-day trip, said at a forum with students in Mumbai he would undertake a “mid-course correction” in his presidency.

Obama and his aides have been discussing strategy and staff changes as he looks toward his own re-election battle in 2012. But the White House has given little indication of how far-reaching the changes will be.

Discussing his decision to move ahead with a major overhaul of the healthcare system at a time when voters saw the economy as the top concern, Obama acknowledged it “probably wasn’t great politics” but said he felt it was the right thing to do.

“It proved as costly politically as

we expected — probably actually a little more costly than we expected, politically.”

Obama also said some of the emergency economic steps the administration took — such as the $814 billion stimulus and the financial bailout — were viewed by voters as government overreach.

He said that was not his aim.

“I think the Republicans were able to paint my governing philosophy as a classic, traditional, big government liberal. And that’s not something the American people want,” he said.

But Obama kept up the conciliatory tone toward Republicans he adopted at a news conference in the aftermath of Tuesday’s election.

He has invited Republican and Democratic leaders to meet with him on November 18 to iron out their differences over Bush-era tax

cuts, which are scheduled to expire at the end of this year unless Congress and the president decide to renew them.

Obama wants to extend the tax cuts only for American families making less than $250,000 a year, while Republicans want to continue them across the board.

In recent days, Obama has signaled he is open to discussing a temporary renewal of the tax cuts for the wealthy.

Obama said John Boehner, the presumed next Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell were “smart” and “capable.”

He said they had shown “political skill” in organizing a unified Republican opposition to his policies but added, “My assumption is that we’re going to be able to work together.”

Key Republican vows to challenge Obama on security

By THOMAS FERRARO WASHINGTON — The congressman in line to chair the Homeland Security Committee in the new Republican-led House of Representatives said yesterday he plans to challenge President Barack Obama on the issue of terrorism.

Representative Peter King of New York said one of his “main priorities” will be to stop Obama’s plans to transfer detainees at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States to stand trial in civilian courts.

King said he would also hold hearings on Obama’s intentions to close the military facility, which now holds among its inmates Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a selfprofessed mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States by al-Qaeda.

“On 9/11, al-Qaeda killed more than 150 of my friends and constituents. Their memories are what drive me in my work,” King wrote in an opinion piece in The New York Post newspaper.

King is expected to become

chairman of the Homeland Security Committee when the newly elected House convenes in January under Republican control, ending four years of Democratic rule.

King, now the panel’s top Republican, unveiled his priorities as chairman in the opinion piece as well as in a statement issued by his office.

“I’ve never been shy about criticizing the Obama administration when its policies and priorities are wrong,” King wrote.

“Yet I’ve also supported the administration when it does the right things to secure our homeland,” King added. “As chairman, I’ll continue to do both, as necessary.”

The Obama administration had initially intended to prosecute Mohammed and other September 11 plotters in a U.S. criminal court blocks from the World Trade Center site in New York. But King and others objected, concerned about security.

The administration backed off that proposal but has not yet revealed its new prosecution plans.

It has adopted what it calls a flexible approach, favoring military tri-

bunals in some cases and civilian trials in others.

Obama has vowed to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay amid international condemnation of the treatment of detainees. But he has run into political resistance at home, including in U.S. states where the prisoners would be moved.

“As chairman, I’ll make securing our homeland from terrorists the committee’s primary focus,” King wrote, charging that the panel failed to do so while under Democratic control.

“The Democrats have convened hearing after hearing on such issues as Hurricane Katrina and diversity in the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) workforce,” King complained.

“Those are important issues,” King said. “Yet they convened those hearings to the exclusion of hearings on such serious terrorism issues as the al Qaeda-linked massacre at Fort Hood and President Obama’s plan to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and transfer terrorists to the U.S. homeland.”

DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

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Mumia Abu-Jamal set for new appeal hearing PHILADELPHIA — The decadesold Philadelphia murder case of Mumia Abu-Jamal is set for another appeal this week, but lawyers say it may still be years before it’s resolved.

Abu-Jamal, a Black defendant who has constantly professed his innocence, was convicted of murder and sentenced to be executed for the shooting death of white police officer Daniel Faulkner.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the latest twist in the case came Friday when Abu-Jamal’s lead attorney Robert Bryan withdrew, saying he was receiving threats from the

inmate’s supporters in an effort to embarrass him.

The report said associate counsel Judith L. Ritter, a professor at Widener Law, now is set to argue the appeal today before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.

The Inquirer said Abu-Jamal, now 56, remains on death row while his legal team will argue that confusing legal instructions to the jury in 1982 led to a sentence of execution instead of a life sentence.

Abu-Jamal was convicted of the 1981 shooting and sentenced to death, but lengthy appeals have delayed his execution.

Newly-elected Black Republicans — Where will they fit?

By ZENITHA PRINCE Special to the NNPA from the AFRO-American Newspaper (DC) Election Day victories for two Black Republicans raise a rare question in the House of Representatives in the 112th Congress: How will two African American members of the Grand Old Party interact with the Congressional Black Caucus?

Fourteen Black Republicans ran for Congress in the Nov. 2 mid-term elections but, after all the votes were counted, only Tim Scott, a South Carolina businessman, and Allen West, a Florida-based Army veteran of the Iraq War, will take seats.

They are the first African American Republicans to be elected to Congress since 1995.

So far, West has said he wants to be part of the CBC, while Scott is still undecided and is leaning toward not participating.

“It’s really heartening to see this type of diversity demonstrated in African American representation,” NAACP Washington Bureau Chief Hilary Shelton said. “[Republican Party Chairman] Michael Steele deserves credit for seeing more

African Americans seeking office under the Republican banner.”

He added, “They could be a real asset to the strategy of passing legislation in the House and in advancing the CBC [Congressional Black Caucus] agenda… It’s very difficult to get things through without the cooperation of Democrats and Republicans.”

Not everyone is as sure about the Republican freshmen’s value to the CBC, raising questions about whether Scott and West will choose to join—or even be welcomed—into the caucus, which was created in 1969 as a Capitol Hill advocate for the nation’s African Americans.

While membership is open to all African American lawmakers, its members have been overwhelmingly Democrats, with only one Republican, Gary Franks of Connecticut, ever becoming a CBC member.

Though invited, J.C. Watts, a Black Republican who represented Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003, declined membership. Sen. Edward Brooke, a Massachusetts Republican who served in the Senate from 1967 through 1979, was not publicly invited and refused to join a CBC boycott of President Richard Nixon’s

State of the Union address in 1971 although he criticized the Nixon administration’s approach to the Black community and civil rights.

“The name of the group is not the Congressional Black Democratic Caucus, it’s the Black Caucus. [And] if they go back to their founding principles then these two men should be welcomed with open arms,” said Black Republican political strategist Raynard Jackson. But, he predicted, even if they were admitted, “this group will make a hostile environment for another Black [Republican] based on them not being compatible in their philosophical leaning.”

Echoing statements by CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee, D-Calif., in an Oct. 22 article in The Economist, Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards said, “If they’re aligned with the interests of working people, particularly African Americans, who struggle and they want to work with us to advance those interests,” Scott and West would be welcomed into the caucus.

But, she added, “What I know of them and their agendas, it is difficult for me to see how that would work [though] it might make for

Doctors urge Congress to halt Medicare pay cuts

By JULIE STEENHUYSEN CHICAGO — The American Medical Association unleashed its latest salvo in its campaign against cuts in Medicare payments to doctors with a survey that finds overwhelming concern among Americans.

The physician’s group did an online survey of 1,000 Americans aged 18 and older and found 94 percent of them said they are concerned about the cuts to doctors who treat elderly patients.

The group released the findings at a meeting in San Diego to kick off a new advertising and lobbying push to convince lawmakers to block payment cuts — set to take effect December 1 — before they recess for the Thanksgiving holiday later this month.

“Congress must stop the cuts before seniors’ healthcare is put in

jeopardy,” AMA President Dr. Cecil Wilson told reporters on a telephone briefing.

Wilson warned of a “catastrophe” if Congress does not act to block the payment cuts. He said many doctors will be forced to see fewer patients covered by the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.

The survey also found that 81 percent of adults agreed that Congress should act immediately to stop the Medicare physician payment cut, including 91 percent of people 55 or older, and 96 percent of people 65 or older The poll was conducted from October 22 to 26 by Synovate eNation and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. AMA did not disclose the number of people over age 65 who were surveyed.

In June, the group launched a similar campaign after Congress went on a week-long Memorial Day holiday

before acting on a bill that would have postponed a pay cut that took effect on June 1.

Congress passed a six-month fix to the problem in late June. Wilson said many doctors at the time had to cut back on the number of Medicare patients they could see.

The doctors’ group wants a 13month freeze on cuts until the system can be fixed.

The AMA has been lobbying for a permanent change in the payment formula that it says is outdated and will allow steep cuts in Medicare payments if it had not been for repeated action by Congress to delay them.

Lawmakers for years have avoided a more permanent fix, which would cost about $250 billion over a decade, because of its impact on the long-term budget outlook.

The AMA represents about 23 percent of the nearly 1.1 million physicians and medical students in the United States.

some interesting discussions.”

Backed by the national Tea Party and elected to office by mostly white voters, Scott and West have decidedly conservative agendas, including limited government, lowered taxes, and cuts in government spending.

Jackson said that, even among GOP ranks, the men are considered to be far, far right of center, making them almost incompatible with the mostly liberal members of the CBC. “These boys are crazy; they’re Tea Party people,” Jackson said. “I’ve had White people calling me up saying these guys are extremely conservative and so far out of the mainstream. Can you see them talking with Maxine Waters? I’d like to be a fly on the wall.”

But, he added, “If I were them, I’d join just to push the issue.”

West, in a Politico interview, indicated his interest in joining the CBC. “That has been a monolithic voice in the body politic for far too long.

There is a growing conservative Black voice in this country,” that needs to be heard, West told the publication.

Scott, on the other hand, told Politico he is less willing to join, pointing to his experience in the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus and the dissonance between him and Black Democrats.

Jackson suggested that the pair also have plenty of dissonance with more moderate Black Republicans.

Moderate Black Republicans are “more concerned with pleasing White people” and less committed to a “Black agenda,” Jackson said. That makes them a detriment to the GOP, rather than an asset, he added.

Though white Republicans are excited by these two additions to the House, saying their victories signal a potential increase in the number of Black conservatives, the new additions will not incite more Blacks to join the party “if they’re saying the same thing white conservatives are saying,” Jackson said. “It’s not the messenger; it’s the message. You can’t send a Black to say the same things Pat Buchanan says.”

“In a lot of ways,” Jackson added, “it would be better not to have these guys in these positions because it gives the white folks in the party a way out” of having to create real change, “especially if they [Scott and West] have no real power.”

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DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

FORUM From T he Pu b l i sh er ’ s Desk

What President Obama should do next

By GEORGE E. CURRY THOMAS H. WATKINS

How did militant ignorance become the norm?

By DEBORAH MATHIS The time: Late 2003.

The place: A newsroom in Washington, D.C. The event: A veteran Republican senator dispatches a news release, announcing the authorization of a new, jobs-making project in the state he represents.

The upside: News like that redounds to the politician’s benefit because the voters like their man in Washington to deliver the goods. And he gets to add this announcement to the bragging rights file for his next re-election bid.

The downside: The senator knows the measure has zero chance of surviving the essential appropriations process, meaning the news release is pumping people up for something that will never come to fruition.

The rebound: When a reporter points out this little technicality, both the senator and many of his constituents protest that she is practicing “gotcha” journalism, which implies something underhanded and ulterior, when, really, only those who have actually done something wrong or embarrassing can get got.

The bottom line: Never mind the facts, the truth, the reality. Just keep those illusions coming and lay on another helping of deception for the folks back home. It’s the perception that counts.

It’s that kind of thinking - or lack of thinking - that has us in the bind we now find ourselves in as of late last Tuesday, when the results of the mid-term election affirmed what many had feared: That the American people had lost their collective mind.

Actually, they have replaced thinking with gulping, having been spoonfed pap from myriad sources, many of which are about as legitimate as a three dollar bill. Politics is no longer a full-bodied meal of protein, starch and complex carbohydrates, but a junk food diet chockful of sugar, salt and saturated fat. And the body politic is no longer healthy.

What makes this regrettable situation worse is that so many people have no qualms about being in this condition. They prefer believing to knowing and often confuse the two. They believe that Barack Obama is a socialist; they believe that he was not born in the U.S.; they believe that he is spending $200 million a

Republicans, the For November 2 midterm elections were about 2012, not 2010.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made that clear in a speech to the Heritage Foundation. He said, “…The fact is, if our primary legislative goals are to repeal and replace the health spending bill, to end the bailouts, cut spending and shrink the size and scope of government, the only way to do all these things is to put someone else in the White House.”

Welcome to the 2012 slugfest. And with more than twice as many Democrats than Republicans up for re-electioon in two years, emboldened Republicans have their sights set on controlling the House, the Senate and the White House.

In order to stay in the White House, the President should adopt my 12-step recovery program: 1) Stop making concessions before entering into negotiations with GOP leaders – The recent Slurpee Summit has not been held at the White House and President Obama is already saying he’s willing the extend the Bush tax cuts to the top 2 percent of Americans, the group least likely to place those dollars back into an ailing economy. The time to make

concessions is during the actual horse-trading, not in advance. President Obama and Republican leaders can’t even agree on what beverage to serve at the upcoming meeting. During the recent campaign, the President called Republicans “Slurpee drinkers” whose brains freeze when it comes to economics.

When asked at a news conference about the possibility of a post-election Slurpee Summit at the White House, Obama replied, “I might serve — they’re delicious.” But House John Speaker-in-waiting Boehner responded, “I don’t know about a Slurpee. How about a glass of merlot?”

2) Assemble a new communications team – It’s embarassing to see one of the most gifted speakers of this generation groping for words when trying to explain why the White House did a poor job of selling its accomplishments. Mr. President, read my lips: Your team has failed you – get a new one before it’s too late.

3) Ignore calls to move to the right – Whenever Democrats lose an election, there are inevitable suggestions that the party should move to the right.

The last thing this country needs is two Republican parties. The underreported story of this election is that conservative Democrats, so-called Blue Dog Democrats, suffered the bulk of the losses, especially in

day for an official trip to India.

They do not know any of that because it cannot be known. It cannot be known because it is not true.

Don’t bother, however, trying to tell them or even to show them otherwise. You will only be called a spinner, an apologist and your evidence - Obama’s clearly pro-capitalist record; his official birth certificate; and official statements about the India trip - all of that will be deemed as counterfeit.

This is what German writer Johann Goethe called “militant ignorance.” That’s when you’re bound and determined, committed and pledged to avoid and resist any attempt to enlighten, broaden or challenge a hard-held point of view. We’re not talking principled here. We’re talking about stubborn refusal to question, to self-examine, to learn. The militantly ignorant are soldiers for stupidity.

Unfortunately, many of them are also empowered to vote, and that, they did last Tuesday, when some

4) Make conservatives put up or shut up – It’s one thing to campaign. It’s quite another to govern. Many Tea Party candidates, including those cross-dressing as Republicans, have pledged to balance the budget while exempting defense funding and entitlements that make up 85 percent of the federal budget. Insist that they give specifics on how they can possibly balance the budget by attacking only 15 percent of the budget.

5) Use Vice President Joe Biden as your attack dog – Many presidents have used their vice presidents as their chief defenders.

Richard Nixon had Spiro Agnew and George W. Bush used Dick Chaney in that capacity.

Unchain Biden as your Defender-in-Chief while you continue to be presidential, which suits your non-confrontational personality.

6) Realize the public still trust Democrats over Republicans on the big issues – A recent USA Today/Gallup poll showed that Americans trust Democrats over Republicans on most of the important issues facing America, including racial and ethnic discrimination, unemployment, the size and power of large corpoContinued on page 5

of the dullest wits in the political braintrust were swept into the U.S. House and Senate, where they will spread the backwater gospel they used to make just enough people believe they would be worthwhile in high office.

Some got got before they could proceed in damaging and shaming their constituents - and the country - any further. Like the certifiably ditzy and mediaphobic Sharron Angle of Nevada and Colorado’s Ken Buck, a 21st century homo sapien whose cultural sensibilities are about as evolved as Cro Magnon man.

But many made it through. And militant ignorance was their sailboat.

I am hoping that, just as the political pendulum swings - to the left, then to the right, then toddling in the middle, then to the left again and on and on - so will this unfortunate comfort with not knowing.

May the curious mind rise again.

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Forum

Black clergy seek economic freedom for their flocks

By CHARLENE CROWELL Almighty Debt, the most recent CNN documentary in the network’s series on African Americans, related how severely debt imposes complex, real-life financial challenges whether the issue is foreclosure, long-term unemployment, or financing higher education. Central to the documentary was Rev. DeForest Soaries, Jr. of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey, whose congregation members were also featured.

The stories of debt were heartwrenchingly true and they also connected the pivotal role and considerable influence that African-American clergy have when it comes to matters of debt. Rev. Soaries is not alone. In other states and locales, there are more pastors, congregations, and alliances that have made a serious commitment to both economic justice and financial literacy.

In fact, these clergy view economic empowerment and justice as an essential part of their clerical duties.

Theirs is not a choice between serving the church or its community; but rather the divine power that has dominion over both.

For example, Bishop T. D. Jakes, an author and senior pastor of the Dallas-based Potter’s House, has a non-profit organization, the Metroplex Economic Development Corporation that teaches the basics of credit and debt management. This wing of Bishop Jakes’ numerous endeavors also meets with banks and negotiates better terms for his flock and community.

In a recent guest opinion for CNN, Bishop Jakes wrote, “What we must realize is that it is not wrong for people to want a new home or car. But it

was wrong for financial institutions to prey on those desires with unbalanced financial solutions.”?

That financial imbalance experienced by many African-Americans is also the focus of the Collective Banking Group, Inc. (CBG). Formed in 1993, CBG recently shared the impetus for its formation and subsequent actions.

Following the call to serve as a pastor in a Maryland church in 1988, Rev. Jonathan Weaver led his church out of debt with early retirement of a $200,000 mortgage incurred before his service. As the church grew and sought a $50,000 loan for expansion, the same lender advised Rev. Weaver that the bank would “consider” the smaller loan, only if a number of conditions were met: collateralize the mortgage; secure an appraisal and three church trustees who would personally guarantee the loan. The fact that the church held accounts with this bank for 25 years was of no value or relevance.

Rev. Weaver then sent the president of the bank a letter saying he would soon advise his 750-member congregation of the bank’s decision and ask them to consider whether they should retain their own individual accounts with the lender. Following its receipt, the same bank official who iterated the numerous conditions promptly contacted Rev. Weaver and assured him that the $50,000 loan was approved without the additional conditions.

More importantly, Rev. Weaver soon discovered that other pastors and church members in Prince Georges County, Maryland and the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area had similar experiences with lenders.

Long-term faithful and regular deposits seemed never enough to secure financing from area lenders.

Their collective concerns led to the founding of CBG with 20 churches in

Obama should do next Continued from page 4 rations, health care, the environment and disengaging the U.S. from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The GOP was favored to deal with illegal immigration, the federal debt, terrorism and the size and power of the federl government.

Even in the recent elections.

7) Strengthen the coalition between Black, Latinos and Asians – That coaltion was the key to Obama’s 2008 victory when the majority of Whites voted for John McCain.

Latinos returned Democratic Senators to power in Nevada and Californaia. Democrats can’t be successful in 2012 without paying special attention to all people of color, who are expanding their share of the electorate.

8) Re-engage young voters – Like people of color and women, this is a

critical part of your base. Looking forward to 2012, its necessary to mobilize young voters to counter the edge older voters provide Republicans.

9) Be a fighter (to be used in conjunction with Point #4) – Americans admire fighters, even if they disagree with them. President Harry S Truman was often depicted as giving his opponents hell.

He explained, “I never give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.” President “No Drama Obama” needs to exude some fire. Ignore the fear that many Whites don’t want to view their president as “an angry Black man.”

The bully pulpit is the last place you need to sound professorial.

10) Deploy First Lady Michelle Obama to more events – In many ways, Michelle Obama connects bet-

the DC metro area. Today, Rev. Weaver serves as CBG’s national president and the faithful alliance has grown to 150 congregations representing 175,000 congregants through chapters in Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Charlotte, NC; and Miami, FL. It is relevant to note that research by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) has shown consumer lending concerns in many of these same locales, particularly as they relate to African-American foreclosures. CRL determined Florida has seen more African-American home foreclosures than any other state in the country.

CBG’s Miami chapter is now strengthening and revising its 10point agreement with its major bank partners and is in discussions with another major lender. The Miami CBG chapter is also excited about recent accomplishments in the Sunshine State.

According to Rev. Dr. Joaquin Willis, who serves dual roles as vicepresident of the national CBG and president of CBG-Miami-Dade & Vicinity, CBG of Miami’s front-end solution to the housing crisis was provided through a partnership with Neighborhood Housing Services, a subsidiary of Neighborhood Works.

Through this partnership, church members and interested community members received homebuyer education and loan packaging programs that successfully placed hundreds of families in homes during these crisis years — without any problems at all.

In 2010, we began to implement a back-end solution with the National Association of Consumer Activists (NACA) who contacted us.?

“CBG Miami and NACA together developed a series of preliminary workshops held in February and March in CBG churches to prepare people for pre-packaging home loan modifications before NACA returned

— Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lending’s communications manager for state policy and outreach. She can be reached at: Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org

ter with audiences than the President. Like her husband, she has two Ivy League degrees. Unlike the President, she comes across passionate and unscripted. It’s time to take her out of the garden and stop limiting her to speaking before groups concerned about obesity and military families.

Black Media – Part of the problem this year was President Obama’s effort to arouse the Black community came on “CP” Time. It was what former Nixon aide John Halderman called TL-square – too little, too late.

Given the President’s lateness, perhaps this will end questions about whether he’s Black enough.

11) Don’t be discouraged – Remember that Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, whose approval ratings were almost identical to yours at this point in office, suffered midterm shellackings but bounced back to get easily re-elected to a second term. You, too, can get your groove back.

to Florida later in the year”? continued Dr. Willis. “When we moved to multiple larger sites at Florida convention centers later during the spring, approximately 40,000 troubled homeowners received loan modifications in two or three-day periods. I am proud that CBG member churches served the community and we opened our church doors to all troubled homeowners regardless of whether they were a church member or not.”

But with a recessionary economy that imposes multiple challenges, CBG is looking at what yet remains to be accomplished.

“We are encouraged by the success we see,” said Pastor Willis. “But we are anxious to expand the number of people served and drill deeper into the problem of debt. “In Miami, we are looking to also do collective buying and collective building in addition to continuing our efforts on collective banking.”?

CBG’s stated vision is to stimulate and actualize economic empowerment in the African-American community and other underserved communities; and to leave a legacy for future generations.?

In a phone interview for this column, Rev. Weaver said, “We’ve got to learn to manage very, very carefully the money that has been entrusted to our care. Just as we should attempt to take greater care of our physical and emotional well-being, we need to take care of our financial well-being and be intentional about it. The days of treating money frivolously need to be long gone.”

I think the Reverends and all of CBG deserve an Amen.

— George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. He can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.

12) Remain engaged with the

Wanted: Houses to Buy Call (718) 636-9500

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DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

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naTional

Study: Tuna black market worth billions of dollars WASHINGTON — The craze for sushi has fueled a black market in tuna worth billions of dollars, as governments collaborate with the industry despite fears for the species’ survival, an investigation found.

A seven-month probe by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists found that fishermen have willfully violated official quotas in order to supply the lucrative tuna market, which is dominated by Japan.

The investigation covered 10 nations but found particular violations in France, where it said the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has joined forces with the tuna industry to doctor catch numbers.

“Everyone cheated,” said Roger Del Ponte, one of the six French fishing captains facing criminal charges.

“It’s like driving down the road. If I know there are no police, I’m going to speed,” he said in the report.

The journalists said the black market in Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna was worth at least four billion dollars between 1998 and 2007. The calculation came from comparing the estimated total catch of tuna with official quotas and then using rates at Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market.

Global fears over tuna stocks emerged in 2007 when France declared it had caught nearly 10,000 tons, almost double its quota allowed under the International Commission for the Conservation of the Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), a regulatory body.

“We found that the system failed at every point. It failed in that vessels were overfishing and that officials were turning a blind eye to that overfishing for years,” said Kate Willson, a reporter on the investigation.

Facing an outcry, ICCAT came up with a new system in 2008 to keep track of the trade. But the study said the

database was ineffectual and the tuna industry was heading to areas with even less oversight such as North Africa.

Willson said the French ministry declined repeated requests for comment.

“There is no way to know if the situation is getting better. We’re supposed to trust them that they are getting better,” she said.

ICCAT found that spawning stock of Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna has tumbled by nearly 75 percent in the past four decades, with more than half of the loss between 1997 and 2007.

Jean-Marc Fromentin, a marine biologist on ICCAT’s scientific body, said that experts had recommended a cut in fishing quotas as long ago as the late 1990s.

“If the countries had listened, then there would have been no risk of collapse,” he said in the report.

“But because they didn’t pay attention, and they didn’t control (catch limits),

then after a few years the situation became really critical and we began to speak about the risk of collapse,” he said.

ICCAT meets in Paris from November 17 to 27, ahead of which European Union fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki has called for a substantial reduction in the bloc’s tuna catch quota of 13,500 tons.

France has opposed the quota, arguing that tuna stocks will be sustainable by 2022. Diplomats say that France is backed by other Mediterranean countries including Greece, Italy and Spain, while Britain is the only country clearly to back Damanaki’s position.

A March meeting in Qatar soundly defeated a proposal backed by the United States and European Union to ban the international trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna after an aggressive lobbying effort by Japan.

The study said that Japan has driven the demand for the Atlantic bluefin, with the

industry taking off in the 1980s when the Japanese developed a passion for “toro,” the fatty belly of tuna.

But after years of financial backing for the industry, Japan has tried to distance itself from perceived excesses, the study said.

Last year it temporarily halted imports from Tunisia due to a lack of required documentation on the catch.

The study traced industry excesses to the mid-1990s, when Japanese companies helped set up tuna “ranches” in which fishermen would take their catches to underwater cages to fatten them up.

With little oversight, the industry began to “launder” tuna by misreporting weight and country of origin, the study said.

“For the fish that are over quota, you have to find a solution,” a former manager at a Spanish tuna ranch said in the report. “You either trade it illegally or keep it until the next season.”

Hollywood actors, studios reach new contract LOS ANGELES — Hollywood actors’ unions and major studios announced Sunday they had reached a new, three-year contract averting the kind of strike that paralyzed the U.S. entertainment industry for 100 days in 2008.

The tentative deal, which goes into effect on July 1, came after six weeks of negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of

Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP).

It provided a six-percent pay raise and a 10 percent increase in contributions to the unions’ health and pension plans, which members had seen as a key priority.

“The deals offer increases in benefit contributions, wages and other areas critical to working performers while being responsive to the

current challenges facing feature film and television producers,” the AMPTP said in a statement.

“The early agreements also ensure that production can continue without disruption for everyone who depends on this industry.”

Three years ago, the inability of actors and producers to clinch an agreement led actors to work without a contract for a year.

It followed a strike by the

Fast-food restaurants target kids

By MAGGIE FOX WASHINGTON — Fastfood restaurants are stepping up efforts to market themselves and unhealthy food products to children and toddlers with television ads, websites and even their own menus, researchers said.

They said efforts by the industry to regulate itself have failed and urged government officials at all levels to declare children a protected group and stop marketing efforts that are fueling child obesity, a serious U.S. health problem.

“What we found in the marketing data is a stagger-

ing amount of fast-food advertising that starts when children are as young as 2 years old,” Jennifer Harris of the Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity in Connecticut told a telephone briefing.

Harris and colleagues spent a year studying 12 big fast-food chains, analyzed the calories, fat, sugar and sodium in menu items and kids’ meal combinations, and studied what children and teens ordered.

The report, available at http://www.fastfoodmarketing.org, finds the industry spent more than $4.2 billion in 2009 on marketing and advertising on television, the

Internet, social media sites and mobile applications.

“Despite pledges to improve their marketing practices, fast food companies seem to be stepping up their efforts to target kids,” Harris said.

“Today, preschoolers see 21 percent more fast food ads on TV than they saw in 2003, and somewhat older children see 34 percent more.” McDonald’s Corp has 13 websites, attracting 365,000 unique child visitors under 12 every month. One, ronald.com, specifically targets preschoolers.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says two-thirds of American

screenwriters in 2007-2008 that became the US entertainment industry’s most damaging dispute in 20 years, costing an estimated two billion dollars.

“Strengthening the pension and health plans was our top priority in these negotiations — making such a significant gain in that area was a vital achievement,” said Ken Howard, president of the 125,000member SAG. adults and 15 percent of children are overweight or obese.

In some states, the childhood obesity rate is above 30 percent.

First lady Michelle Obama, spearheading an administration initiative on child obesity, has urged food manufacturers to re-package food so that it is healthier for kids.

In 2007, McDonald’s and other large U.S. food and drink companies pledged to adopt stricter controls on advertising to children under 12.

“Most restaurants will say that they have added healthier choices to their menus in recent years,” Yale’s Marlene Schwartz, who worked on the study, told the briefing.

While this is true, she said with the exception of privately owned Subway, most offered fries and a soft drink

His counterpart at the 70,000-member AFTRA, Roberta Readon said she was “extremely pleased we met our goal of increasing contributions to our retirement and pension plans, and that we successfully completed this negotiation now to protect the needs of performers early in the process.” as a default.

“In most cases you have to work very hard to get a healthy side or drink in a fast-food restaurant,” she said. “You have to know it exists and you have to ask for it.”

The researchers found that teenagers purchased 800 to 1,100 calories, or half a day’s worth, in an average visit.

Yale’s Kelly Brownell said state and local governments can rein in the marketing behavior of the restaurants, pointing to San Francisco’s law passed last week that cracks down on giving away free toys in children’s meals.

Brownell hopes Monday’s report will do more.

“There will be a level of anger, even rage perhaps, that will set the stage for legislation and even regulatory action,” he said.

CHALLENGE DAILY DAILY CHALLENGETUESDAY, TUESDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 9,9,2010 2010

77

INTERNATIONAL

Myanmar army-backed parties set to sweep rare poll

By AUNG HLA TUN YANGON - The military will keep its grip on power after Myanmar’s first election in 20 years, backed by parties that on Monday looked set to win a vote marred by fraud and denounced by President Barack Obama as stolen.

Europe and Japan also condemned the conduct of the poll.

Complex rules for Sunday’s election thwarted any chance of a pro-democracy upset as Myanmar ends half a century of direct army rule. State TV said voters “freely and happily” cast ballots, but witness accounts suggested low turn-out and irregularities in the former British colony also known as Burma.

“It is unacceptable to steal elections, as the regime in Burma has done again for all the world to see,” Obama said in a speech to India’s parliament in New Delhi.

“Faced with such gross violations of human rights, it is the responsibility of the international community — especially leaders like the United States and India — to condemn it.”

Illustrating the strains multi-ethnic Myanmar has faced for decades, minority Karen rebels seized government buildings in clashes with troops in the border town of Myawaddy, causing about 12,000 people to flee into Thailand, Thai officials said.

Plumes of black smoke rose above the town, a Reuters witness said. At least 10 people were wounded in fighting involving rockets or mortar bombs.

Many ethnic groups fear the election will strengthen the constitution and destroy any chance of a degree of autonomy, stoking concern the fighting could spread to other armed ethnic groups such as the Kachin and the Wa along the border with China.

Official results trickled out over state media, showing the military and its proxy parties ahead, but a clear picture of who will control parliament could take a day or longer in the reclusive country, where timely information is rare.

Many who abstained from the vote expressed doubt they could alter the status quo.

“Voter turnout seems to be very bad,” Philippine President Benigno Aquino told reporters in the first comments by a Southeast Asian leader. “What we really wanted to happen there was broad-based

Security personnel from Myanmar hold their weapons as they walk on the Moei river bank in Myanmar's Myawaddi town, from across border in Thailand. participation.

FOCUS ON SUU KYI With the results largely preordained, focus turned to whether Nobel Peace Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent 15 of the past 21 years in detention, will be freed when her house arrest term expires on Saturday.

The United States, Britain, the United Nations, the European Union and Japan repeated calls to free the 65-year-old pro-democracy leader whose National League for Democracy beat an armybacked party by a landslide in 1990, a result ignored by the military junta.

She urged supporters to boycott the election while about 2,100 political activists or opposition politicians are behind bars. Her youngest son, Kim Aris, flew from Britain to Bangkok, stirring speculation of her imminent release. The Myanmar embassy on Monday denied his request for an entry visa.

A statement from the office of U.N. SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said voting conditions in Myanmar had been “insufficiently inclusive, participatory and transparent.” But it called on the junta to turn the election into “a new beginning” by freeing Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.

Japan said it was “deeply disappointed” Suu Kyi had not been freed before the vote. Myanmar should “ensure that these elections mark the start of a more inclusive phase” by releasing political detainees, the foreign ministry said.

Freeing Suu Kyi could energize pro-democracy forces. It would also revive debate over sanctions, although most experts agree more political pris-

oners would need to be freed before U.S. and European sanctions could be reviewed.

“Only five days more,” read a banner hanging outside the headquarters of her now-defunct party.

State television said the election was conducted “with a full sense of inclusiveness.” State media in neighboring China also praised the vote.

“We know that handing over power to civilians in Myanmar cannot happen in one step, but we support this direction,” said China’s Global Times newspaper, a tabloid published by the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily.

For the first five months of 2010, China has invested about $8 billion in Myanmar, seen as a strategic ally and trading partner, especially for its energy-hungry western provinces.

MILITARY DOMINANCE Twenty-five percent of seats in all chambers are reserved for serving generals, so army-backed parties need win just 26 percent of seats for the military and its proxies to secure a majority.

The junta’s political juggernaut, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, or USDP, closely aligned with junta supremo Than Shwe, fielded 27 ministers and contested almost all the 1,163 seats that state TV said were up for grabs.

Results for just 57 seats were made public, including 55 that went uncontested. Those results and comments by officials suggest the USDP and other army-backed parties dominated. One USDP official said his party won “sweeping victories” in Mandalay and Irrawaddy, among the largest of Myanmar’s 14 divisions.

The USDP’s only real rival, the National Unity Party, also backed by the army, was running in 980 seats.

The mood in the pro-democracy camp was less ebullient. Democratic Party (Myanmar) party spokesman Hla Myint said only one of 47 candidates in his party appeared to have won.

At least six parties filed complaints to the election commission, claiming state workers were forced to vote for the USDP. The National Democratic Force, the largest pro-democracy party, accused the USDP of “widespread fraud.”

Thirty-seven parties contested places in a bicameral national parliament and 14 regional assemblies. Except for the USDP and National Unity Party, none has enough candidates to win because of restrictions such as high fees for each candidate.

Nor th Kor ea’s heir appar ently rises again SEOUL - The death of a North Korean military official and the naming of leader-inwaiting Kim Jong-un to the funeral preparation committee was jumped on by South Korean media on Monday as showing he had risen to second-in-command.

In the opaque world of North Korea, experts are forced to dissect and analyze every snippet of information — sometimes reading between the lines, or words — in search of the truth.

South Korean media concluded that by being named immediately after leader Kim Jong-il to the funeral committee by the North’s state-run news agency KCNA, the leader’s third son had been elevated to the

second highest position in the secretive state.

The young Kim, known only to be in his mid to late 20s, was identified as heir apparent in September when appointed to senior political and military posts in the isolated state.

Then, he was named sixth after his father and other officials in a list of dignitaries participating at the ruling Workers’ Party conference.

The latest sequence — placing Kim ahead of the cabinet premier, the chief of general staff and the defense minister — is the clearest signal yet that he is officially in line to take over from his ailing 68-year-old father, the South’s Yonhap news agency reported.

The Chosun Ilbo daily quoted a North Korean source as saying the heir apparent had probably already

been promoted to the posts left vacant by the late Jo Myong-rok, or will assume them as soon as the mourning period ends.

KCNA reported that Jo, the first

vice-chairman of the North’s National Defence Commission and a close Kim confidant, died on Saturday of chronic heart disease at the age of 82.

Sweden opens probe of U.S. embassy surveillance STOCKHOLM - Sweden is investigating to see whether the U.S. embassy has committed any crime by carrying out surveillance measures, the prosecutor’s office said on Monday in a case similar to one that has blown up in neighboring Norway.

The probe to see if illegal intelligence gathering has taken place was launched after the Swedish Security Police at the weekend confirmed the U.S. embassy had a surveillance system in place since 2000, without informing the local authorities.

The Swedish office of public prosecution said in a statement that a preliminary probe had been opened to see whether the U.S. measures constituted a crime and to see who had carried out such a crime, if one had been committed.

“The investigation concerns American measures to protect the U.S. embassy in Stockholm and American personnel,” the statement said.

DAILY CHALLENGE DAILY CHALLENGETUESDAY, TUESDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 9, 9,2010 2010

AFRICAN SCENE

88

His majesty? Gambia president may become king

By ARTIS HENDERSON DAKAR, Senegal - Gambia’s president once claimed to have developed a cure for AIDS that involved an herbal body rub and bananas. His administration rounded up nearly 1,000 people last year in a witch hunt. And now he may soon have a new title in this tiny West African nation: His majesty.

Tribal chieftains are touring the country to rally support for President Yahya Jammeh’s coronation.

“The president has brought development to the country, and for that he deserves to be crowned King of The Gambia,” said Junkung Camara, chief of the western region of Foni Brefet. “This is the only way the Gambian people can express our gratitude to a leader who has done a lot for his country.”

Like many rulers in this part of Africa, Jammeh, 45, came to power in the wake of a coup. He was elected president two years later, and is currently serving his third elected term in the tiny country surrounded on three sides by Senegal.

If he were crowned king, he could dispense

with the formality of elections altogether.

For a ruler who likes to be called His Excellency the President Sheik Professor Alhaji Doctor Yahya Jammeh - identifying himself as a doctor, scholar, and elder, among other honorifics - “king” would suit him well.

“It’s image construction,” said Abdoulaye Saine, professor of political science at Miami University in Ohio who specializes in Gambian politics. “He’s not a scholar, he’s not a doctor, he’s not a professor. But he covets these titles.”

Saine says Jammeh’s coronation would give him a new title but would not change anything politically.

“Jammeh is already king,” Saine said. “He practically owns the

FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006 file photo Gambian President Yahya Jammeh speaks during a press conference following his reelection in Banjul, Gambia. Gambia's president once claimed to have developed a cure for AIDS that involved an herbal body rub and bananas. His administration rounded up nearly 1,000 people last year in a witch hunt.

And now he may soon have a new title in this tiny West African nation: His majesty.

Photo/Rebecca Blackwell country of Gambia. He controls the press, the opposition, the clergy, and the coffers of the state.”

While sub-Saharan Africa has just one remaining absolute monarchy - in the southern African nation of Swaziland -

other leaders have tried to similarly solidify their role. Idi Amin, the brutal dictator who ruled Uganda during the 1970s, titled himself His Excellency President for Life. And Central African Republic’s Jean-Bedel Bokassa crowned him-

self emperor in 1977.

The call for Jammeh’s coronation is the latest in a series of controversial events that have marked his presidency. In 2007, the ruler claimed to have developed a cure for AIDS and insisted that patients stop taking

their antiretroviral medications so his cure could have an effect. recently, More Jammeh’s administration rounded up nearly 1,000 people last year in a witch hunt that spanned the nation of 2 million.

Authorities forced the supposed witches to drink a hallucinogen that caused diarrhea and vomiting.

The unidentified liquid led to serious kidney problems, and two people died after the forced treatment, according to international rights group Amnesty International.

Sam Sarr, editor of the main opposition newspaper Foroyaa, says Jammeh’s move to be crowned king will never work.

“It’s unconstitutional,” Sarr said.

“According to the constitution, his position is an elected position.

Sovereignty resides in the people.”

Not that making Jammeh king would change much.

“The presidency is already like a monarchy,” Sarr said. “As far as power is concerned, he has absolute power.”

Two Nigeria oil rig hostages South African escapes ‘believed to be French’ pirates, but 2 crew captured PARIS - Two of the hostages seized on Monday from an oil rig off Nigeria are believed to be French, a spokesman for France’s foreign ministry said.

“We have indications concerning the abduction off Lagos and the possible presence of two French nationals among the people abducted,” said ministry spokesman Bernard Valero. “We are looking to confirm these indications.”

The oil rig in Nigeria’s volatile Delta region was attacked early Monday and five crew members are believed to have been taken hostage, the

By JASON STRAZIUSO

company that oversees the rig, Afren, said in a statement.

It did not state their nationalities, but one

security source said they were two Americans, two French and a Canadian.

NAIROBI, Kenya Pirates near Somalia attacked and took command of a private yacht that later fired on French naval forces.

The yacht’s South African skipper escaped captivity, but the pirates took two crew members hostage onto land, the EU Naval Force said Monday.

The pirates overtook the private yacht with three people on board, the European Union’s anti-piracy force said.

A French warship, the FS Floreal, located the yacht on Saturday, but when a team

approached the yacht shots were fired.

The yacht ran aground on Sunday near Somalia and the EU Naval Force said the South African captain refused to leave the yacht but that the pirates took the two other crew hostage and went ashore.

The South African is now aboard an EU Naval Force warship. A naval force helicopter searched for the other two crew but could not locate them, the EU Naval Force said.

A spokesman, Lt. Col. Per Klingvall, said the EU Naval Force could not immediately release the nationalities of the two other crew because their rel-

atives have not yet been notified about the hijacking.

The incident appears similar to the case of Paul and Rachel Chandler, a British couple taken hostage by Somali pirates while sailing their private boat off East Africa in October 2009. The Chandlers are still being held in Somalia.

Despite patrols by an international flotilla of warships, Somali pirates continue to attack and hijack ships moving through the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean off East Africa. Multimillion dollar ransoms paid to release the ships and crew fuel the attacks.

CHALLENGE DAILY DAILY CHALLENGETUESDAY, TUESDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER9,9,2010 2010

99

AFRICAN SCENE

Guinea vote goes ahead as ethnic tensions simmer

By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI CONAKRY, Guinea - Guineans cast their ballot Sunday in a vote that has been delayed multiple times following violent ethnic clashes that pitted the nation’s two largest ethnic groups against each other.

The ethnic divide between supporters of rival candidates Cellou Dalein Diallo and Alpha Conde has overshadowed what was supposed to be a historic ballot for the African nation of 10 million, which has never had a change of power through an election considered free and fair.

Election observers said voting was calm and that they had recorded only minor problems, including insufficient ballots in some precincts, said National Independent Electoral Commission President Siaka Toumani Sangare.

Many worry, however, that the country’s simmering ethnic tensions will be put to the test in coming days once results are announced and it becomes clear that one of the candidates has lost, forcing that community to accept a president from an ethnicity other than their own.

“People say to themselves that the country is like a cake that is going to be divided.

They think the only way to get a slice of the cake is if their ethnic group is in power,” said poll worker Hamidou Soumah, who presided over the vote in a tiny store room in the Kaloum neighborhood of Conakry where people were snaking out the door.

Guinea - a country so

rich in minerals it is often referred to as a ‘geological scandal’ has been ruled by military strongmen for the past 26 years. They ran the country into the ground and it is now ranked as one of the poorest in the world despite its enormous reserves of bauxite, the raw material used to make aluminum, as well as diamonds and gold.

The country’s fate appeared to have changed last year when the military agreed to step aside after the head of the junta was badly wounded in a shootout, forcing him to leave the country for emergency surgery.

The initial round of voting in June narrowed the field of 24 candidates to two, Diallo and Conde - forcing the country to choose between a Peul and Malinke, the two largest ethnic groups.

Both Malinke and Peul voters say they fear that if their candidate does not win, their community will be excluded from the spoils of power.

Every election since Guinea declared independence from France in 1958 was rigged. The fraud was so overt that it was not uncommon for precincts to report more votes in favor of the ruling party than there were registered voters. For the first time there is no incumbent to sway the vote

and the army has vowed to remain neutral, but Guineans have instead found themselves divided.

“When the army agreed to step down, we were handed a gift on a golden platter ... We need to seize this opportunity,” said Rabiatou Serah Diallo, the president of the country’s National Transition Council, who was also a longtime opponent of Guinea’s last dictator.

“This is the first time since independence that we are being given a chance to be free.”

Clashes between Peul and Malinke supporters paralyzed Conakry for several days last month, and caused the vote to be rescheduled. The violence spread as far as Siguiri, a town 300 miles (500 kilometers) north of here, where at least 1,800 Peul fled their homes. Diallo told reporters Sunday that his party’s representatives in the Siguiri area were too afraid to show up to monitor the vote, as required by electoral law.

“Lately, we have very much seen a kind of racial hatred - a hatred and a violence founded on ethnicity. We cannot deny it,” said 58-yearold Cellou Dalein Diallo just after he had finished voting. “Members of the Peul community have been chased out of their country. They were identified, beaten and stripped of their property ... It’s the first

Guineans line up to cast their ballot at a polling station in Conakry, Guinea, Sunday Nov. 7, 2010. Guineans began casting their ballots in a vote that has been delayed multiple times following violent ethnic clashes pitting the nation's two largest ethnic groups against each other. The ethnic divide between the supporters of rival candidates Cellou Dalein Diallo and Alpha Conde has overshadowed what was supposed to be a historic vote for the African nation of 10 million on Sunday.

Photo/Jerome Delay time in the history of our country that we are seeing this type of violence directed at one community.”

In the capital, minor disturbances were reported at a handful of polling stations, including some where voting materials arrived late or were incomplete. The most serious incident occurred abroad in the polling station in Madrid for expatriate Guineans living in Spain. Sangare, the election chief, said voters vandalized the polling area, causing the votes cast in that precinct to be canceled.

Bernard Kouchner, the foreign minister of France, Guinea’s onetime colonial ruler, said in a statement that the vote appeared to have taken place “without major incident,” and he hailed “a historic success after 50 years of

dictatorship.”

Many say they wish they could vote for the candidates based on their platforms and regret choosing along ethnic lines, but feel they need to do so to protect their community’s interests.

“You shouldn’t vote for a Peul because he’s a Peul or a Malinke because he’s a Malinke,” said tailor Mamadou Bah, a Peul who said he’s voting for the Peul candidate, Diallo. “I’d like to think I’m voting for him because of his ideas, but I’m mostly voting for him because the Malinke in my neighborhood are constantly insulting us,” he said. “And we feel attacked.”

The No. 2 of the military junta, Gen. Sekouba Konate, who agreed to allow the country to hold elections after junta leader,

Capt. Moussa ‘Dadis’ Camara, was forced into exile, warned citizens in a televised speech that violence would not be tolerated.

“We know that violence is easy to spark and difficult to put an end to. Better we don’t start at all,” he told voters on the eve of the ballot. “The time has come to make a clean break with a past of violence, of disorder, of chaos, of rivalry, of hatred.”

Guinea’s recent past has been especially dark. In 2009, Camara’s presidential guard sealed the exits to the national soccer stadium where tens of thousands of protesters had gathered to demand an end to army rule. They then opened fire into the trapped crowd.

Women that escaped were hunted down and gang raped by soldiers on the stadium turf.

South Afr ican escapes pir ates, but 2 cr ew captur ed

By JASON STRAZIUSO

forces. The yacht’s South African skipper escaped captivity, but the pirates took two crew members hostage onto land, the EU Naval Force said Monday.

N A I R O B I , Kenya - Pirates near Somalia attacked and took command of a private yacht that The pirates overtook later fired on the private yacht with French naval

three people on board, the European Union’s anti-piracy force said.

A French warship, the FS Floreal, located the yacht on Saturday, but when a team approached the yacht shots were fired.

The yacht ran aground on Sunday near Somalia and the

EU Naval Force said the South African captain refused to leave the yacht but that the pirates took the two other crew hostage and went ashore.

The South African is now aboard an EU Naval Force warship. A naval force helicopter searched for the other

two crew but could not locate them, the EU Naval Force said.

A spokesman, Lt. Col. Per Klingvall, said the EU Naval Force could not immediately release the nationalities of the two other crew because their relatives have not yet been notified about the

hijacking.

The incident appears similar to the case of Paul and Rachel Chandler, a British couple taken hostage

by Somali pirates while sailing their private boat off East Africa in October 2009. The Chandlers are still being held in Somalia.

DAILYCHALLENGE CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010 DAILY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

10 10

CARIBBEAN BRIEFS ONE FAMILY.

Whether West Indian, African or African American.

One God, One Aim, One Destiny.

Former US vice president says Trinidad can be green centre of Caribbean PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Former US Vice President Al Gore says that Trinidad and Tobago has an abundance of natural resources that would allow it to engage in alternative and renewable energy development as part of the country’s diversification and economic thrust, while assisting to reduce adverse environmental effects.

The Guardian newspaper reported that Gore, a Nobel Laureate and one of the world’s most influential voices on climate change, advised Trinidad and Tobago that now is the time to capitalise on these resources as the country’s major revenue earner, gas and oil, would not last.

“You have unparalleled resources of sunlight and good wind resources and I know you also have cheap energy,” he said.

He added that since Trinidad and Tobago was geographically located just a few kilometers from the world’s best supplier of pure silica, the country could take advantage of this proximity by purchasing the silica to create solar cells.

Gore explained that Trinidad and Tobago could gain the potential competitive advantage in the production of solar panels due to its manufacturing capabilities, low cost energy environment and its strategic location.

He said that the country had the potential of becoming the green centre of the

Caribbean and in the northern part of South America, if it had the will to do so.

“If you choose... you could create a centre for manufacturing research and development for solar panels throughout the Caribbean and the northern part of South America creating new jobs... if you chose to do so, you can become one of the countries best known for wind power,” he said.

Gore was invited by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association to speak on climate change and he chose the theme “Thinking Green, Economic Strategy for the 21st century”.

The lecture was aimed at providing practical guidance to the business community, government and the population as to how they can make choices to save the earth, while stimulating sustainable economic growth by meaningful engagement in the pursuit of alternative energy.

Trinidad contractors urged to take bonds by cash-strapped government PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Contractors in Trinidad and Tobago have been urged to take bonds instead of cash because the government does not have the funds to pay at this time.

The call came from Works Minister Jack Warner, while addressing a Contractors Association dinner in Port of Spain. His theme was “The role of the construction industry in the development of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Warner called on the construction industry to keep an open mind for money owed to them by the state, and stressed that cash settlement was not an option.

CARIBBEAN NEWS

Trinidad PM visits St Lucia and pledges assistance without strings

CASTRIES, St Lucia — Trinidad and Tobago prime minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar, was praised by St Lucia’s prime minister, Stephenson King, when she and three other ministers visited Castries on Friday, for her quick response to rally to St Lucia’s assistance in the wake of Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar the passage of engineering specialist She made it quite St Vincent and the Hurricane Tomas. troops on the island clear, however, that her Grenadines.

Persad Bissessar, her ministers and technical advisors were taken on a tour to the areas that were seriously affected by the hurricane.

King said that the country would need approximately US$500 million “to get up and running again”. He said one of their immediate concerns was a supply of fresh water, but noted that the United States already has a contingent of

working around the clock to get water flowing again.

The Trinidad Express reported that the Trinidadian prime minister said, “We remain committed to assisting you and the people of St Lucia.

There are no strings attached to the humanitarian aid that we bring and will continue to send to you for reconstruction.”

country could not afford as much as the TT$3 billion needed, but promised to assist as much as she could.

Persad Bissessar distributed hampers to residents in some of the areas. She disclosed that two Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard vessels with relief supplies were scheduled to arrive in St Lucia over the weekend and containers with similar supplies will be sent to

Trinidad and Tobago Local Government Minister, Chandradesh Sharma, who visited St Lucia with his prime minister, said, “As part of the CARICOM family we are willing to lend support to St Lucia and we have witnessed quite a large amount of destruction, including destruction of the banana industry which generates a lot of income to the country.”

Antigua-Barbuda opposition leader again criticises governor general for delaying tribunal report ST JOHN’S, Antigua — Antigua and Barbuda opposition leader, Lester Bird, has again criticised the country’s governor general for the delay in making public the findings of the tribunal set up to inquire into allegations against members of the Electoral Commission.

In his weekly broadcast on Sunday, Bird said, “It is outrageous that, for three long weeks, the governor general has been in possession of the report and she continues to refuse to release it.”

This, he said, shows the utter contempt that she has for the people of the country that, on a matter of urgent public interest, she denies you the right to know what the Tribunal said.

“It also demonstrates the scorn that the Baldwin Spencer regime and Spencer himself has for you the people of Antigua and Barbuda,” he said.

Bird added that, in the meantime, the governor general has removed the chairman and two commissioners from the Electoral Commission, although she has no legal or any other basis for doing so. Further, he said, she has appointed as a majority on the Commission, a Baldwin Spencer nominee and political cohort as chairman, along with other known Spencer supporters.

The former prime minister added, “The Labour Party will do all in our power — peacefully and

legally — to stop the abuse of the Spencer regime.

But the Caribbean and the international community must take cognizance of the mischief that is occurring here and take appropriate action.”

He has called on the Commonwealth and the Organisation of American States (OAS) in particular to take note of what he referred to as the mischief now afoot by the Spencer regime to fix future general elections.

Bird added that all the Commonwealth and the OAS do is to send observer missions to Antigua and Barbuda on election day, long after the fixing of electoral lists and other gerrymandering has taken place, and all

Leader of the Opposition and former prime minister Lester Bird they are doing is condoning illegality and the destruction of democracy.

He emphasised, “We call on the Commonwealth, the OAS, and the European Union to act now to help us maintain our democracy; and end the despotic practices of the Spencer regime.”

DAILY CHALLENGE DAILY CHALLENGETUESDAY, TUESDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 9,9,2010 2010

CARIBBEAN NEWS

11 11

Officials: Hurricane killed at least 20 in Haiti

Residents help to push a vehicle in a flooded street in Leogane, Hait on November 5. Haitians were mopping up the muddy wreckage left by Tomas Saturday, after the killer storm swept through the impoverished nation as a hurricane, amid concern it could worsen a cholera epidemic.

Photo/MINUSTAH/Logan Abassi

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti At least 20 people died when Hurricane Tomas brushed past Haiti, more than double the number initially reported, Haiti’s civil protection department said Monday.

Seven others remain missing and dozens were injured. More than 30,000 people remain in shelters and Tomas left nearly 6,000 families homeless. Others, already homeless from the Jan. 12 earthquake, lost their tents.

The hurricane struck Haiti’s southern peninsula on Friday and traveled up the coast, triggering floods and landslides. But its strongest winds and rain stayed far

to the west of the capital, sparing most of the encampments where an estimated 1.3 million people have been living for nearly 10 months.

Officials are now turning their attention back to a worsening cholera epidemic that has killed more than 500 people and hospitalized more than 7,300. Flooding is expected to spread the disease while damage to roads and buildings could make it harder for those sickened to get medical care.

Authorities were monitoring the cholera-laden Artibonite River on Monday after engineers let through extra water to alleviate pressure on a dam on Haiti’s central plateau. Initial reports from the area indicated that flooding was minimal.

A woman carries a bucket of water on her head through the mud in a tent city in Port-au-Prince.

An earthquake survivor walks in the rain early in the morning in a provisional camp in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Cuban dissident backs off hunger strike threat

By PAUL HAVEN HAVANA - A prominent Cuban dissident has pulled back from a threat to launch a hunger strike to pressure the government to free the last 13 political prisoners jailed in a 2003 crackdown, saying Monday that he was heeding a call for restraint from the men and their wives.

Guillermo Farinas said he was postponing the hunger strike, but stood ready to launch one if he is persuaded that authorities will not release the prisoners. He said he was writing a letter to Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega - who negotiated the releases

with Cuban President Raul Castro - to see what had gone wrong.

Farinas won Europe’s Sakharov human rights prize in October after staging a 134-day hunger strike in support of the prisoners. He had

vowed to stop eating again if the remaining dissidents were not in their homes by Monday one day after a deadline for their release.

Even as he withdrew the threat, Farinas said he was pessimistic that

the government would make good on its promise to the church.

“This government has demonstrated that it cannot keep its word,” he told The Associated Press by phone from his home in the central city of Villa Clara.

In their July 7 meeting, Castro and Ortega agreed on a timetable for the liberation of 52 prisoners of conscience held since a 2003 sweep against peaceful activists, social commentators and opposition leaders. The church announced that all of them would be out of jail within four months, a period that ended Sunday.

At first, the releases came quickly. The government freed 39 of the

men - as well as 14 other prisoners arrested separately for violent, but politically motivated, crimes. All were sent into exile in Spain along with their families, though the agreement with the church made no mention of exile being a requirement for release.

But progress has stalled recently.

The remaining 13 prisoners have refused to leave the island, a direct challenge to the government. Some say they will continue to press for democratic political change the moment they leave jail.

As the deadline approached, wives and mothers of the island’s most prominent political prisoners marched through the streets of

the capital Sunday demanding the government honor the deal or face protests and international condemnation.

A prominent church official expressed surprise at the lack of progress.

“It is not what we thought would happen,” the Rev. Jose Felix Perez, who coordinates Cuba’s Catholic Bishops Conference, said Sunday as it became increasingly clear no releases were imminent. He commented after celebrating Mass for the Damas de Blanco, or Ladies in White, a dissident group made up of the wives and mothers of the 2003 prisoners.

Cuban officials have declined to comment on the deadline.

New American

The

12 12

DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010 9, 2010

One Thought - One Humanity

For the conclusions of these stories check out the November 4th - November 10th 2010 issue of The New American, which hits newsstands every Thursday Beyonce Knowles, the hardest working woman in showbiz has just released the first official trailer, for her hotly anticipated “I Am…World Tour” DVD. The DVD will include performances from the concert (mainly the hit singles released from her LP “I smash Am…Sasha Fierce”) set to air on ABC this Thanksgiving (November 25th).

Singer Anthony David, who was first brought to the mainstream by soul diva India.Arie, will release a brand-new 7 track live digital EP titled The Setup on November 23rd. David previously recorded the EP live in Atlanta. ‘The Setup,’ will be a prerequisite to David’s new studio album to be released via Purpose Music/Entertainment One Music in February 2011. Titled ‘As Above, So Below,’ the set will be his 4th effort and is the follow up to ‘Acey Duecy’ which was released in the summer of 2008. Since the release of ‘Acey Duecy,’ David has been touring relentlessly. David has worked with close friend India.Arie on an award-winning singing and songwriting partnership, including “Part of My Life,” the Grammynominated duet, “Words,” and The Red Clay Chronicles.

Willow Smith made a promo stop on ‘The Ellen Degeneres Show’ to talk about her new single, ‘Whip My Hair’.

Willow was given a neck brace from Ellen to prevent her from damaging herself during her debut television performance.

Kid Cudi was filmed leaving a venue drunk out of his mind. His bodyguard had to pick him up off the ground and basically drag him

to the vehicle. Hollywood TV then added, “where he is inserted in the back seat and then neatly folded in half — no kidding!!”

Not guilty is the plea from T.I.’s wife, Tameka ‘Tiny’ Cottle, to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. Cottle, who was charged by the Los Angeles District Attorney on Friday, did not appear at the Beverly Hills courthouse on Monday but entered the plea through her attorney.

The husband and wife were arrested in September in Los Angeles on a traffic stop when authorities allegedly smelled marijuana.

Police also found pills in their car, which was later determined to be ecstasy.

Janelle Monae is one of the coolest people in entertainment according to a “Cool List” produced by music mag NME. Here is what the mag said about her: “She’s a mixture of contradictions that shouldn’t work: an androgynous creative dominatrix who signed to Diddy’s label yet retained total control over her output.” Monae is definitely a dope artists.

Morgan Freeman has received an apology from a Republican politician who used a “voice double” for the veteran actor to narrate his ad campaign. The Oscar-winner was said to have voiced a TV promo in support of congressional candidate B.J. Lawson for the country’s midterm elections.

However, Freeman moved swiftly to deny any involvement in the campaign and issued his own statement to contradict Lawson’s.

Alicia Keys posted a letter on her blog singing the praises of her bundle of joy.

“Every moment is beautiful; delicious even! Every moment I’m learning and living in a way I never have before. Being present in a way I never have before. Existing in moments I never have before. Never have I felt so calm, so purposeful in taking the time to truly observe the world around me, to live in it fully and watch it, discuss it, put time toward it. It feels really incredible - so peaceful, so complete and long overdue. I’m grown, I’m confident, I’m secure, and so blessed to be these things.”

Nelly is set to launch his own international radio show in November. The Grammy winner hit radio airwaves in his native St. Louis, Missouri in August, when he filled in for Hot 104.1 host Staci Static, while she was on maternity leave, and his stint on the show proved so popular he has signed a deal with Global Radio’s Choice in London to host a weekly Saturday afternoon show beginning November 6th. According to a statement, the Hip-Hop star will play the “biggest and best urban music” in addition to a selection of tracks from his upcoming album, 5.0.

Nicki Minaj has revealed her growing disinterest with her rap alias and explained why, despite her aversion towards it, she was kept the name as of late. According to Nicki, she only keeps the name “Minaj” to satisfy her fans. Minaj, who is known by several other aliases, said she got her name from Fendi, her first producer. “I was always called Nicki at home so I was known as Nicki Maraj but my first producer did not like Maraj and thought Minaj sounded better.”

The Floacist triumphs with highly anticipated solo debut ‘Floetic Soul’ “My approach to the manifestation of Floetic Soul, has simply been to get out of the way and go beyond my comfort zone, making sure to challenge limitations any that I may have placed on myself over time,” shares Natalie “The Floacist” Stewart.

The strikingly beautiful, slamchampion poet and singer took the music world by rounded herself with on her new storm in 2002 when she graced the CD. Joining forces with the mesmerR&B scene with her brainchild izing wordsmith, is a stellar line up Floetry. The Gold-selling duo’s of guests including soul crooners unique elixir of sensual soul and Musiq Soulchild and Raheem poetic justice garnered seven Gram- DeVaughn, rapper MC Lyte, singer my nominations and created such Lalah Hathaway and producers JR smash hits as “Floetic,” ‘say Yes” Hutson (Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild) and “Getting Late.” Floetry followed and Chris “Big Dog” Davis (George with two more best selling albums Clinton, Kim Burrell, Will Downing) over the next few years. Floetic Soul and FREE SUM Music Company, is a continuation and further explo- The Floacist’s very own production ration of “The Floacist’s” genius outfit.

Blessed with the gift of communimusical mind. “Floetic Soul was inspired by the understanding that cation and ability to enrapture the my original Floetic concept of `poet- crowd in her spellbinding flow and ic delivery with musical intent” had magnetic aura, “The Floacist” spins not come to an end, even though my stories of love, lessons learned, congroup, Floetry, had completed its flict and resolution, anthems of percycle. I was left with the realization sonal growth and affirmations of that I still had music in my mind, positivity into a tapestry of soulful hymns, infectious hip hop grooves my heart and my soul!”

A consummate artist, the always- and seductive R&B hooks. Floetic inspired Floacist recorded Floetic Soul is a deeply personal project for Soul as if she was on a cosmic musi- “The Floacist” whose music is soulcal mission. She recorded 16 songs ful, sensual, honest, passionate and over 12 days! The result is an introspective. “Floetic Soul is a incredibly rich album that shows off reflection of the woman that I am, the many sides of her mind-blowing both musically and personally,” conartistry as a composer, singer, poet, fides the 30-something renaissance lyricist, and producer. Her willing- woman. “It is quite obvious that ness and freedom to express herself there have been some major changes in various musical contexts is that have occurred since the last refreshing. A testament to her talent time that I last released any materiis the caliber of artists she has sur- al.”

- Full Story In This Weeks New American Newspaper -

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DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

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CBC Takes ‘Wa it and See’ Pos VOL. 23 NO. 49 March 20, 2010

BY HAZEL

TRICE EDNEY

ture

WASHNGTO was a pivotal N (NNPA) – It GTON — Let Congression moment for the n 120 million the count begin. al Black Caucus g Monday in U.S. census forms and the Black community mailboxes around - last the government’s the Thursday. The CBC was face to once-a-decad ount that will e face with President be Obama at l seats and more used to divvy up the White House . Fast-growing than $400 billion what is currently to talk about the foremost st could stand states in the South problematic socioeconom to lose the of ic most issue among African lower-than-a verage Americans rates in 2000 mail – joblessness. and d young adults, higher shares of But, when the who mail in their forms. are among the over and the meeting was 41-member Caucus $2.5 million Super Bowl ads work? Capitol was back in their $# Hill offices, America’s first had u receive your 2010 census, really listened? Black president mail it back,” please " out The jury is still said Census$Bureau ert Groves, according who kicked off the Congressman to the Black in campaign Monday in Phoenix, highest office who holds the which could on gain because of rapid up to two U.S. “We’ll have the Hill. to wait immigrant growth I don’t cade. know. I know and see. that there were urging cities some and states to House Majority significant promote suggestions,” and improve Whip Rep. said U. S. upon rates in Chairwoman Rep. Rep. Barbara James Clyburn (D-SC) (R) 72 percent 2000, Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), of U.S. households Lee (D-CA) (L) holds the who r forms. If everyone listens during speaks as Rep. Congression office of a news conference al Black Cauc “I will House mails it back, who receives a majority whip. on Capitol Hill.

But, to make memorandu be sending a foundation the government sure that an estimated m to his the Caucus for us to evaluate $1.5 billion in senior follow- second full meeting – in its staffers who were in overwhelmin in the a few weeks or months with the meeting to let them g majority CBC got the whether 12 an interview, !

(4+%#0 /'4+%#0 in or not they’re message .# = '0+145 24'2#4'& know percent of America’s of Groves said $1;5 9*1 listening.”

61 real- says he will follow - Clyburn I thought I heard and what 0 '8'4;6*+0) (41/ #4' 5752'0&'& #6 ata showed Bl population, CBC The CBC (11& 61 %*#4+6#$.' what &17$.' #0& public awareness of up in a thought some of has been clear 64+2.' 6*' 4#6'5 1( ad improved 1 9*+5-'; #5 914& the strong way. the suggestionsI about since January written letters, members h were and 6*'+4 524'#& 10&#; what they /#.' 2''45 0).+5* 00 at9*+6' hopefully lay .. *#8' 61 9#+6 706+. this point, which to levels had pho #6 .'#56 a President Obama want since conferences he called 61 ” .#0)7#)' Still, he remained .'#40'45 9*1 (14 %+#. '%74+6; %*'%-5 and commit has been in ;'#45 4'/#+0 +0%4'#5' particularly office. +0 5'2#4#6' %.#55'5out motivating '40/'06 +5 ':2'%6'& Representin young adults, 61 #00170%' 6*+5 (#..+0) g See CBC ‘WAIT’ the who /14' 6*#0 $'*+0& 6*'+4 2''45 g other groups. Many page 3 /+..+10 #0& 5%14+0) twentyow on 9+.. )1 6*417)* # 5'%10&1%+#. '%74+6; 2114.; 10 56#0&#4&+<'& their own were 564#+)*6 6'565 living ;'#4 in with +0%4'#5' +0 /106*.; +5#$.'& 567&'065 #0& 2000, so they haven’t 6*15' 9+6*

BY ANDREW +..0'55'5 9*1 #4' f filling *' (+456 9+6*176 #0 $'0'(+65 !*+5 out census forms. had the TAYLOR 5*146%*#0)'& +0%4'#5' 5+0%' #6 5%*11. $'%#75' erican public comes #&,756/'065 (14 +0(.#6+10 The measure is part of a through 56#46'& +0 6*'+4 WASHINGT e is1(capable campaign +/2#+4/'065 have to reimburse ON of, we’ll have in the Companies – that they by Democrats to show a great 6A5 &+5)756+0) @ 5#+& !*15' #4' #/10)ves said.

Social credit that #7. unemployed hire nation’s are addressing the Security for the lost revenue. were probably %1/2.#+065 (+.'& 6*+5few6*'weeks will be #6' 914-'4 (41/ "#49+%- % '+. workers “This is just going hire the worker unemployme critical. Even (+5%#. ;'#4 temporary payroll will get a problem, 9*1 the the first, 9+6* 6*' & #0& 76+.+6; %1565 *#8' as Census Bureau anyway,” s but that message nt certainly not the tax holiday '2#46/'06 under a bill that predicts that 1( hirds of U.S. last, piece of Bill Rys of the overshadowe was *#5 016 ' .#/'06'& )10' 72 $76 &7%#6+105 easily legislation households Nation ((+%' 1( d by Congress’ won final Federation congressiona that we will feverish final That’s +8+. of Independe *#6 *' 5#+& &1 016 (#814 &'%+5+105 $; +)*65 #0 l because it faceswill mail put Business, push to pass health forward in relation 2'4%'06 +0%4'#5' approval care Wednesday. special which lobbies #0& 6*' .#4)'56 ,7/2of growing ' )16 6*+5 +&'# 6*#6 6*';A8'5'0+145 overhaul legislation sponsor Charles to jobs,” said small +0 #6 .'#56 U.S. apathy toward )16 61 5#8' The bipartisan business. “Until by this N.Y. Schumer, Dweekend. ;'#45 #%%14&+0) 61 ents displaced by $#5+%#..; 6*'; 9#06 busine “If we don’t create &#6# 2418+&'& picks a high 61 6#-' the Senate sends 68-29 vote in “It $; 6*' &'2#46/'06 as well jobs, the owners,up for small busin 6*#6 9+.. )+8' 6*'/ +6 176 1( as immigrants number of !*' to the White the legislation will is the first of what I hope economy will not 6*' .'#56 who have %1/'5 #5 6*' 1((+%' +0%4'#5' *' 5#+& be move huge there’s not going to b President BarackHouse, where that a series of jobs packages forward.”

241%''&5 incentive to 9+6* .+8+0) #&,756/'065 help to continue %1/2.+#0%'See US CENSUS It also extends add n #4' #761/#6+%#..; 4'8+'95 promised to sign Obama has people +0 page 2 highway and workers.” &+564+%65 #0& +056+676+105 '#574' #&126'& $; back to work,” to put mass transit it Much of the programs through It will be the into law.

1( Obama the *+)*'4 '&7%#6+10 14&'45 4#+5'5 $#5'& 10)4'55 +0 6*' bill is financ first of several said after the vote. end of the year over the coming 10 0#6+109+&' election-year and The bill : 9*+%* /'#574'5 6*' 1057/'4 +0%.7&+0) %#5'5 jobs bills promised decade which passed $20 billion in time for pump in cracking down +0(.#6+10

by Democrats nts?+081.8+0) Our e-mail Wednesday contains the spring &+52#4#6' &+5%+2.+0' 0'(+65 9+.. 4'/#+0 70%*#0)'& 1%+#. on offshore construction address is: havens, 4#6'5 #0& law, though to be enacted into billion wseditorata about $18 #5 .10) '4 24+%'5 4'/#+0 $'.19 64'#6/'06 1( 567&'065 there’s plenty in ol.com money would season. That billion though it would add $ skepticism that 6*' .'8'. 6*'; of billion tax breaks and a $20 9+6* to the debt in make up for llenge-Grou &+5#$+.+6+'5 the measure 6*' .#56 6+/' # the comi p.com three years. do much to actually will highwayinfusion of cash into lower-than-expected gasoline (14 6*' 75* #&/+0+564#6+10 9#5 ribe, call (718) 755.;00 .+ &+4'%614 636-9500 or Optimistic %*#0)' create jobs. Among and transit programs. tax revenues.

“When are we 1( 6*' (41/ 61 ) 857-9115 0+145 .+-' % '+. ((+%' 1( +8+. +)*65 going to other0(14/#6+10 5#+& 6*' estimates The measure predict things, it exempts 6*' +0%4'#5' +5 /14' tax break 016+10 the %6 4'37'56 businesses could?!*' is modest spending money around herest 6*#6 $176 6*' +557' 9*'0 5#+& 6*';A.. $' 4'#510 (14 6*' allenge5#+& 9' generate compared Newspaper .+-'.; 9'4' that hire *+)*.+)*6 if there’s no +0%4'#5' +0 4'(.'%6+10 6*'; )1 61 816' with last year’s 250,000#jobs56'2%*+.&4'0 perhaps Group Inc. 1( +557'5 the 6*#6 billion 6*#6A5 # unemployed %1/2.#+065 +5 70%.'#4 +0 5#+& 6*' 0'95 %1/'5 through the end 6*' &+(('4'06 0#44#6+8' %#5'5 from paying economic stimulus $862 Sen. Judd tomorrow?” s #6 # $#& 6+/' (14 the year, but6*#6A5 $'+0) of percent *#8' $76 #2241#%* 6#-'0 $; '/1%4#65 the 6.2.10)and Gregg, R-N $'.+'8'5 567&'065 The Black that would be%10,74'& #.4'#&; (#%+0) 216'06+#..; bill, “Because $76 +6Social the bulk Security payroll &1%7/'06'& 2#4'065 Press of #0& just a 72 tiny > 9#5 016 9+6* '27$.+%#05 $+) .155'5 America 6*' 4'#.+6; .+-' 6*' breaks tax through pretty soon $'4 '0+145 #4' 6*' #&/+0+564#6145 *#8' &+52 would of the hiring tax going of the 8.4 4700+0) fraction 9#5 December National Newspaper ther 6*' 6*'4' &+5%+2.+0' and million 9*'0 /14' (#+6* /156 %+8+. 4+)*65 1((+%' jobs lost Publishers Association to @ ';01.&5 4#6'gives $'69''0 5#+& employers an#0& 6*#6 1((+%+#.5 9+.. 6#-' 6*'+4 5722146 +5 '52'%+#..; .1;#. 1( the companies that probably go to children be no tomorrow for o #5recession. # .#9 since 0(14/#6+10 start of the additional 9*+6' /#.' #%6+10 '0(14%'/'06 +/2146#06 $1,000 as we add this credit if new 567&'065 &6'4/ '.'%6+105 5*12 '4#.& hire#new workerswere likely to their workers stay debt #0& 9#5 2418+&'& 10 6*' 4'21465 ';01.&5 *'#& 1( 9*'0 6740176 +5 backs.” '/1%4#65 (1%75+0) on the anyway.

61 !*' job a full year.

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14

DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

healTh Forum

Is your laptop cooking your testicles?

By FREDERIK JOELVING Whoever invented the laptop probably didn’t worry too much about male reproductive health.

Turns out, unsurprisingly, that sitting with a computer on your lap will crank up the temperature of your nether regions, which could affect sperm quality.

And there is little you can do about it, according to the authors of a study out today in the journal Fertility and Sterility, short of putting your laptop on a desk.

The researchers hooked thermometers to the scrotums of 29 young men who were balancing a laptop on their knees. They found that even with a lap pad under the computer, the men’s scrotums overheated quickly.

“Millions and millions of men are using laptops now, especially those in the reproductive age range,” said Dr. Yefim Sheynkin, a urologist

at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, who led the new study.

“Within 10 or 15 minutes their scrotal temperature is already above what we consider safe, but they don’t feel it,” he added.

So far, no studies have actually tested how laptops impact men’s fertility, said Sheynkin, and there is no bulletproof evidence that it would. But earlier research has shown that warming the scrotum more than one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) is enough to damage sperm.

Under normal circumstances, the testicles’ position outside of the body makes sure they stay a few degrees cooler than the inside of the body, which is necessary for sperm production.

“I wouldn’t say that if someone starts to use laptops they will become infertile,” Sheynkin told Reuters Health. But frequent use might contribute to reproductive problems, he said,

because “the scrotum doesn’t have time to cool down.”

According to the American Urological Association, nearly one in six couples in the US have trouble conceiving a baby, and about half the time the man is at the root of the problem.

Both general health and lifestyle factors such as nutrition and drug use can influence reproductive health.

However, Sheynkin said tight jeans and briefs are generally not considered a risk factor.

“Clothes should not significantly change scrotal temperature, because you are moving around,” he said.

To hold a laptop on your knees, however, you need to sit still with your legs closed.

After one hour in this position, the researchers found that men’s testicle temperature had risen by up to 2.5 C. A lap pad kept the computer cool and also made sure less heat was transmitted to the skin. But it didn’t

do much to cool the testicles, and might give “a false sense of security,” according to Sheynkin.

“It doesn’t matter what pad you use,” he said. “You can put a pillow beneath your computer and it still won’t protect you.”

As it turned out, leg position played a far bigger role.

When the men sat with their legs spread wide — made possible only by placing the computer on a large lap pad — they could keep their testicles cooler. But it still took less than 30 minutes before they began overheating.

“No matter what you do, even with the legs spread wide apart, the temperature is still going to be higher than what we call safe,” said Sheynkin.

Belkin International, Inc., which sells lap pads and other electronics accessories, did not wish to comment on the new findings.

Dr. James F. Smith, a urologist at the University of California, San Francisco, cau-

Exercise unlikely to lift depression long-term

By ALISON MCCOOK Exercise appears to have little long-term impact on depression, according to a new review of large studies investigating the relationship.

As long as people with depression were taking part in an exercise program, it appeared to have a small effect on their symptoms - but months after the intervention ended, they were just as depressed as people who did not participate in the exercise program.

Study author Dr. Jesper Krogh at Bispebjerg University Hospital in Denmark told Reuters Health he was surprised to see exercise had no long-term impact on depression. “I expected that patients that had benefited from the intervention would stay well,” he said.

Overall, “the effect on depression is at best small, if any,” he noted.

However, this does not mean that exercise is not at all helpful to people who are depressed. People with depression are also at a higher risk of dying from heart disease and diabetes, and for these conditions, there is “solid documentation” that supports the benefits of exercise. “There-

fore, exercise is important in this population,” Krogh said.

An estimated 17 percent of people living in Western countries develop depression at some point in their lives.

Previous research has suggested that exercise could have an impact on depression, at least in the short term. In a 2007 study of 202 depressed adults, investigators found that those who went through group-based exercise therapy did as well as those treated with an antidepressant drug.

That same year, another small study found that regular exercise improved depression symptoms in people who’ve failed to get better with antidepressant medication.

The current study, in contrast, looked at data collected from only large studies, some of which measured exercise’s long-term impact by following patients for months after the intervention concluded.

The analysis, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, is based on 13 studies

including nearly 700 patients, half of whom were randomly assigned an exercise intervention to help with their depression.

On average, people appeared to have improved slightly by the end of the exercise intervention, relative to people who did not exercise.

However, according to the 5 studies that followed patients for between 6 and 26 months, the benefits of physical activity did not appear to last once the program ended.

tioned that a clear impact of laptop use on fertility had still not been shown, and that it probably didn’t play a big role.

Still, he added in an e-mail to Reuters Health, heating up the scrotum is likely to be bad for sperm production. He often asks patients that he sees for infertility if they use a laptop and, if so, suggests that they spread their legs periodically or place the computer on a desk.

Dr. Smith said the consequences of continued overheating of the testicles — socalled scrotal hyperthermia — probably weren’t permanent, but might take months to go away.

“When interested in maximizing fertility potential,” he advised, “minimize harmful exposures, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.”

“If exercise was a pill, I do not think the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) would approve it as an antidepressant,” he said.

Perhaps, Krogh suggested in an e-mail, exercise itself has indirect effects on depression that only last while people are doing it. “Maybe the effect of the intervention is not related to the physical exercise but to an element of structure in the daily lives of depressed patients,” Krogh noted. Some of the benefits, he noted, may include “meeting at regular intervals with other patients and staff that know the hassles of living with depression.”

Many falls, and resulting ER visits, can be prevented Falls are a leading cause of injury in the United States, but some simple precautions can help prevent them, experts say.

“It’s important to look around your everyday environment and minimize the risk . . . not only for yourself, but for others as well. There is a reason that unintentional falls are common injuries with our patients. They can happen at any time, any place and happen to anyone,” Dr. Sandra Schneider, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians said in an ACEP news release.

Accidental falls are the

leading injury-related reason why Americans seek emergency medical care, with nearly 9 million visits a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Falls are the leading cause (33 percent) of accidental home injury deaths and account for more than 40 percent of nonfatal injuries, the Home Safety Council has reported. The two highest risk age groups are children under 5 years and adults older than 70.

“A fall can be a sentinel event in the life of an older person, potentially marking the beginning of a serious

decline in function or the symptom of a new or worsening medical condition,” Schneider said. “Identifying the cause of the fall and making appropriate interventions to improve function are as critical as treating injuries if future falls are to be prevented and quality of life and longevity are to be improved.”

Here are some ACEP tips for preventing falls in the home: Get rid of clutter in your home and make sure that stairs and walkways are kept clear of objects.

Keep tops and bottoms of stairs well lit, and leave

nightlights on in the bedroom, hall and bathroom.

Repair or replace any loose stairway carpeting or boards.

Add handgrip bars in bathrooms and shower areas.

This is especially important for the elderly or those with disabilities. The bottoms of tubs and showers should have a non-slip surface.

In homes with elderly people, remove throw rugs and tack down larger rugs.

In homes with young children, use locking gates near stairs and install window guards with quick release mechanisms that are easily opened in case of a fire.

DAILY DAILYCHALLENGE CHALLENGETUESDAY, TUESDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 9, 9, 2010 2010

15 15

NEW JERSEY

N.J. activists, parents warn against promoting charter schools as fix for education system

By BOB BRAUN TRENTON - From Washington to Trenton to Newark, political leaders from both parties including President Barack Obama and Gov. Chris Christie - are promoting charter schools as an answer to perceived public school failure.

And the privately run but publicly funded schools receive support from some of the wealthiest and most famous people on the planet.

But a few activists based in Princeton some charter school parents - and a Rutgers researcher want their voices heard above the cheerleading.

They warn charters are not panaceas.

“We are not against charter schools,” says Julia Sass Rubin of Princeton, whose daughter attends one.

She is part of an organization called Save Our Schools-New Jersey (SOS-NJ). “But we have serious concerns about cost and accountability.”

Bruce Baker, a faculty member at Rutgers’ Graduate School of

Education, issues research reports on the relative success of charters and traditional schools. He also writes a blog, “School Finance 101,” where he posts his research.

“What we’re finding is that, to the extent charter schools do better than traditional schools, it is often attributable to ‘creaming’ or ‘skimming,’ excluding special education students, poor students on free-lunch programs, or limited English-speaking children,’’ he says.

Like Rubin, Baker supports charters, but says they should be more closely regulated.

He released research showing charters in New Jersey take fewer special education students - sometimes, none at all. When the test scores of regular students at both schools are compared, traditional schools often do better than the charter.

“When valid comparisons are made, claims of the charters can’t be verified,” he says.

Baker also released data showing that, on statewide tests, charter students do about as

well as students from the poorest districts in the state and far worse than students in suburban districts.

That isn’t because charter schools are only located in cities.

Rubin’s group says an increasing number of charters are located in suburbs, including Princeton. She says charters often take top students while leaving poorer students - who are more expensive to educate - behind.

“By siphoning off limited resources, charter schools not only reduce the resources available to the students attending traditional schools, they also threaten the districts’ ability to serve special needs and at-risk students,’’ her group contended in legislative testimony.

Lawmakers are now considering expanding charters. The problem, suburban parents say, is school boards have no say in establishing a charter in their districts. But, once a school is approved, they must pay most of the costs of students leaving public schools for the charters.

“But the fixed costs of the district remain the same, even though we lose the money that now goes to the charters,’’ says Audrey Chen, another member of SOS-NJ. And, while voters in Princeton can determine the fate of funding of traditional schools, they cannot stop the funding - with property taxes - of charter schools.

SOS-NJ opposes a bill, sponsored by state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (DEssex), to allow agencies other than the state to authorize charter schools. It argues such agencies - including, possibly, those allowing profit-making schools subsidized by the public - would not be accountable.

Ironically, one agency seeking to open charter schools is Baker’s Graduate School of Education through its Charter School Resource Center. While SOS-NJ uses Baker’s statistics to bolster its argument, it does not want Rutgers to open new publicly funded charter schools.

“Neither Rutgers nor

N.J. Assembly committee to consider affordable housing bill that focuses on rezoning

By PEGGY ACKERMANN TRENTON - An affordable housing bill before the Legislature does not actually require towns to provide housing opportunities for low-income residents, but it does credit municipalities if they rezone for more expensive homes, according to a report scheduled for release Monday.

“It’s not an exaggeration at all to say this bill may not result in any low- or moderate-income housing,” said Kevin Walsh, associate director of the non-

profit Fair Share Housing Center, which produced the report. “This legislation is working at cross purposes with dozens of other state policies.”

An Assembly committee plans to consider the bill (A3447) and amendments Monday. Part of the legislation says towns that fall short on their affordable-housing obligation can rezone 20 percent of their developable land to allow for housing for people who earn up to 150 percent of their region’s median income. By comparison, “affordable housing” covers incomes from zero to 80 percent of median income.

According to the report, a copy of which was obtained by The Star-Ledger, 150 percent of

median income for a family of four in Essex County is $131,721, an amount that translates into a house that could sell for $529,900.

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill, said the legislation focuses on zoning for all housing. He also said it eliminates the Council on Affordable Housing, which told towns how much low- and moderateincome housing they had to provide.

Lesniak (D-Union) said the market determines where housing is built, and affordable units would be constructed along with other homes.

“There’s no building requirement in this bill,” Lesniak said.

the Center is directly accountable to the voters,” says SOS-NJ. Baker says he is not opposed to Rutgers running charters. “But it is a big responsibility - we’d have to demand accountability and pull the charters if they’re not succeeding.’’

Christie on increasing the number of charter schools and his decision to send his kids to parochial school Bruno Tedeschi, a spokesman for the New Jersey Charter School Association, responded to requests for comment by questioning the reliability of Baker’s work. He said he “seriously questions the credibility” of “biased data” provided by Baker. He charged Baker is “closely aligned with teachers unions, which have been vocal opponents of charter schools and have a vested financial interest in their ultimate failure.”

He linked Baker to the Think Tank Review

Panel operated out of the University of Colorado’s National Educational Policy Center. Tedeschi says the panel is “bankrolled” by teacher unions. Baker is, in fact, a fellow at the center, which receives funding from a variety of sources, including the Ford Foundation and the National Education Association.

The panel, which includes professors from throughout the country - including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia and Berkeley writes reviews of reports published by political think tanks.

“How did they miss seeing Bill Ayers’ name right above mine?’’ says Baker, a reference to the 1960s radical, a professor at the University of Illinois, who also was on the panel. Opponents of Barack Obama tried to link Ayers to Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed proposals will be received, and opened by the Director of Purchasing at One Journal Square Plaza, 2nd floor , Jersey City, New Jersey 07306. ON: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 AT: 11:00 A.M. MUNICIPAL SERVICES CENTERPHASE 1-SITE PREPARATION, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY PROJECT NO. 2009029A Architecture. Contract Documents including Plans, Specifications, and Bid Forms may be obtained at the Office of the Director of Purchasing, One Journal Square Plaza, 2nd floor , Jersey City, N.J. 07306, upon payment of $150.00 non-refundable fee for each set. Bids may be submitted in person, or may be sent by U.S. certified mail return receipt requested, or may be sent by private courier service. Mail bids to: Peter Folgado, Acting Director, City of Jersey City Division of Purchasing One Journal Square Plaza, 2nd floor, Jersey City, New Jersey 07306.

Bids sent by mail must be received by the Director of Purchasing no later than 4:00 P.M. of the last City business day before the day of the bid reception. Bids sent by courier service must be delivered to the Director later than 11:00 A.M. on the day of the bid reception. The City shall

not be responsible for the loss, non delivery or physical condition of bids sent by mail or courier service. Bids must be submitted individually in a sealed envelope addressed to the Director. Bid Proposal must comply with specifications. Bidders are required to comply with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et. seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et. seq. (Equal E m p l o y m e n t Opportunity/Affirmative Action Program). Bidders are also required to comply with the provisions of P.L. 2004, c.57 (N.J.S.A. 52:32-44) which includes the requirement that contractors provide copies of their Business Registration Certificates issued by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury. These provisions are incorporated herein by Reference. Full Requirements of the Program may be obtained with Proposal Forms. Bid Proposals MUST BE ACCOMPANIED by a Bid Bond or Certified Check, in the amount equal to Ten (10%) Percent of the bid, but not in excess of $20,000.00 made payable to the City of Jersey City. The Acting Director of Purchasing reserves the right to reject any all bids received, or portions thereof, if deemed to be in the interest of the City to do so. Peter Folgado Director of Purchasing

16

DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

enTerTainmenT

‘Unstoppable’ on track for box office success

By TODD MCCARTHY LOS ANGELES — Director Tony Scott may have missed his mark by a bit on his last cinematic train ride with “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three,” but he hits his target dead-on in “Unstoppable,” which Fox opens on Friday.

The best blue collar action movie in who knows how long, this tense, narrowly focused thriller about a runaway freight train has a lean and pure simplicity to it that is satisfying in and of itself.

But in its incidental portrait of discontented and discounted working stiffs who live marginal lives on society’s sidings and are angry to varying degrees, the film carries an unexpected weight and could connect with Middle American audiences in a big way.

Arriving so soon after the November 2 elections, “Unstoppable” would seem to uncannily embody the mood reflected in the results; life seems fractured and out of joint, there’s a testiness in the way people relate to one another, friction between classes is worse than before and the future looks bleak.

And yet one senses an innate, underlying opti-

Everyday working man Denzel Washington becomes an extraordinary hero when he attempts to avert a disaster. mism; perhaps the nation is down, but it should never be counted out, with the film suggesting that the common people can deliver the goods as they always have.

None of this was likely intended as the raison d’etre of Mark Bomback’s screenplay, but it massively strengthens the film Scott has made for anyone who cares to notice. First and

foremost, however, it’s a crackling rip-snorter in which the moans, groans, sparking metal and sheer force of the train produce an intense visceral reaction for nearly the full 99-minute running time.

Inspired by a real story from 2001 of a 47-car train carrying toxic molten phenol acid that left the yard without an engineer on board and

charged through Ohio for more than two hours before it was boarded and brought under control, the script features working class characters who are uniformly pissed off and carry their bad attitudes to work.

On this given day in central Pennsylvania, Will (Chris Pine), a young man whose wife has obtained a restraining order against

him, is assigned as conductor on a freight run with veteran engineer Frank (Denzel Washington), whose collegeage daughters work at Hooters but who otherwise keeps his problems to himself.

Will’s youth and family political connections do nothing to endear him to Frank’s circle of grizzled veterans at the train yard, where morale seems very low indeed.

In fact, it is incompetence and a cavalier “whatever” attitude that triggers the crisis when a slovenly, overweight engineer (Ethan Suplee) hops off his cab to reset a switch and then can’t catch up as his train (on which the air brakes also happen to be disconnected) rolls out of the yard. There’s a bit of cheap suspense as the “coaster,” as the runaway is initially called, is on a collision course with a trainload of school children but, once that’s averted, the suspense and excitement build without distraction or pause.

Under full power, the hard-charging train becomes “a missile,” in the words of train traffic manager Connie (Rosario Dawson), who tries to keep track of where the train is and how catastrophe can be avoided in the short term. Her boss Galvin (Kevin Continued on page 17

Andre Braugher headed NBC cancels struggling drama ‘Undercovers’ back to N.Y. stage Actor Andre Braugher is to star in the New York premiere of Mathew Lopez’s stage drama “The Whipping Man,” the Manhattan Theatre Club announced.

Braugher is one of the leads in TV’s “Men of a Certain Age.” He also starred in the drama series “Homicide: Life on the Streets” and in the miniseries “Thief.”

On stage, Braugher received an Obie Award for his performance in the 1996 Shakespeare in the Park production of “Henry V.” Other New York stage credits include “Hamlet,” “The Tragedy of Richard II,” “Measure for Measure” and “Twelfth Night.”

He is to play a former slave named Simon in “The Whipping Man,” which is set just after the U.S. Civil War. Preview performances of the

play are to begin Jan. 13.

The show’s official opening is scheduled for Feb. 1.

The Manhattan Theatre Club described the historical drama as “a tale of loyalty, deceit and deliverance, and a fascinating portrayal of three men, and this country.”

The jet-setting is over for NBC’s spy drama “Undercovers” and its star Boris Kodjoe.

NBC announced that it will not pick up additional episodes from the freshman series beyond the original 13-episode order, according to Deadline.com. The Warner Bros TV-produced show is currently filming Episode 12.

The news follows Wednesday night’s episode hitting another series low when it slipped to a 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demo.

The slickly produced light drama, whose pilot was directed by creator J.J. Abrams, broke primetime ground by featuring two Black actors as the leads.

But it got off to a disappointing start in the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot and never found traction with viewers.

The series will stay on for the next two weeks and will air its last original (for now)

on December 1, reports Deadline. It was already set for preemption on Nov. 24 when NBC is airing a DreamWorks Animation holiday special. The fate of the remaining original “Undercovers” episodes is unclear.

This is the second new NBC series to get cancelled, along with legal drama “Outlaw.” The rest of NBC’s freshman class all received back-nine orders two weeks ago. At the time, “Undercovers” got a pickup for four additional scripts.

DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

17

enTerTainmenT

Faith Evans to become Florence Ballard of the Supremes Faith Evans is about to get her acting on! She has been selected to play the lead role in the upcoming biopic entitled “Blondie” – the story of Florence Ballard – the original lead singer and so-called forgotten member of the Supremes.

The film, based on the book “The Lost Supreme” by Peter Benjaminson, is set to be directed by Bille Woodruff from a script written by Karen Spencer and Roy Fegan, who will also serve as co-producers with Glenn S.O.N Faide, according to BV’s Wilson Morales.

“Not only is this about rebirthing Florence Ballard’s legacy and giving her the accolades that she has deserved for 34 years, it also offers her children an opportunity to know their mother better and celebrate her life,” says Karen Spencer, “Blondie” screenplay writer.

A Detroit native, Florence Ballard paved the way for female entertainers but she has yet to be accurately portrayed. The biopic will reveal shocking details of Florence’s life from her moments of joy and success to her devastating betrayal

and the actual cause of her premature death at the young age of 32. Her nickname (Blondie) references the hair color she inherited from an Irish ancestor, says her bio.

Ballard’s three daughters requested that Faith Evans portray their mother. The singer has spent time with the family and studying Ballard’s music.

“Blondie” will premiere in the Summer of 2011 year and will be accompanied by a soundtrack with stars like Lauryn Hill, Kelly Price, and of course Faith Evans.

Aretha Franklin to hold holiday concert For box office success DETROIT — Aretha Franklin’s annual free holiday gospel concert in Detroit will be held even though she has canceled performances for six months, friends say.

Franklin is also expected to be present at the concert and Thanksgiving dinner, the Detroit Free Press reported. She has been hosting the concerts for seven years, although she does not always perform herself.

This year’s concert is to be at New Bethel Baptist Church, where her father, C.L. Franklin, was pastor.

The lineup at “Aretha’s Thanksgiving Gospel Fest” includes Dorinda Clark-Cole

of the Clark Sisters, Esther Smith, Paul Porter of the Christianaires, Spencer Taylor and the Highway QCs, Slim and the Morning Echoes, and the Mighty Voices of Wonder.

Franklin has canceled a number of events recently.

This week, her staff announced that she had been released from Sinai-Grace Hospital and had been ordered to take it easy for six months. The nature of her illness was not released.

“She is up and about and doing real good but not well enough to perform right now,” an old friend, Fannie Tyler of Detroit, said.

Continued from page 16

Rihanna set to kick off AMAs broadcast LOS ANGELES — Recording star Rihanna has been booked to open the 2010 American Music Awards show in Los Angeles.

The announcement was made by Orly Adelson, president of dick clark productions.

This will mark Rihanna’s fourth time performing on the AMAs. She joins a lineup of previously announced acts including Diddy-Dirty Money, Ne-Yo, Bon Jovi, P!nk, Christina Aguilera, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry,

Ke$ha and Usher.

Rihanna is nominated for an AMA in the Soul/Rhythm & Blues category for Favorite Female Artist.

The prize presentation is to be broadcast live from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE Nov. 21 on ABC. “We could not be more excited to officially announce one of pop music’s biggest stars to open the celebration at the AMAs. Be sure to tune in so you don’t miss this surely memorable moment,” AMA producer Larry Klein said.

Swizz Beatz named first producer-in-residence at NYU Music producer, rapper and newlywed Swizz Beatz has been named the first producer-in-residence at NYU’s Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at the Tisch School of the Arts.

New York University said the appointment for the cur-

rent academic year is immediate, reports the Associated Press. Beatz will offer students one-on-one sessions, group lectures, songwriting critiques and mentoring.

Born Kasseem Dean and married to Alicia Keys, the South Bronx native has cre-

ated hit songs for such artists as Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Metallica and Jay-Z. The Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music provides professional business and artistic training toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Dunn) must ultimately decide on whether or not to derail the train, but it’s headed to more populated areas where the explosion of toxic cargo could prove devastating. Before long the incident is picked up by TV news (Fox, of course) and police choppers fly overhead.

On their run in the vicinity, Frank and Will become involved in the pursuit and various schemes are tried: Putting engines in front of the runaway to gradually slow it down, then pulling an engine up from behind to connect so as to drag the long train to slower speeds.

But the most breathtaking sequence involves attempting to lower a Marine from a helicopter by cable down onto the runaway while both are doing 75 mph. Just when you think things might be okay, they’re not, and the train — and the film — keep charging ahead to the outstanding finale.

Scott doesn’t show any moves that he hasn’t used before; the desaturated images, jumpy camerawork, abrupt cuts, spare and jokey dialogue exchanges and relentless forward movement are all things he’s done for years. But here everything is stripped down to its essence and placed in the service of creating a piece that’s virtually wall-to-wall action with no distraction.

Adding to the film’s effectiveness is the essential credibility of both the mechanics and the setting. No matter how many or how few visual effects were used, what’s onscreen all looks absolutely real, giving the appearance

of actual trains running on actual tracks and causing actual mayhem on assorted gritty locations throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio that provide a vivid, extensive look at America’s Rust Belt.

In the staging, shooting and editing, this is a superbly orchestrated movie.

Even though they are only sketched in with the quickest of brush strokes, the sadness and limitations of the characters’ lives are made indelibly clear. Underlying everything is an anger and frustration born of neglect and a sense of the world passing these people by. For those disposed to looking for metaphors and hidden sociological content in overtly commercial cinema, Unstoppable provides a term paper’s worth of content; the characters here don’t know how to articulate it, but there’s a rage that seems prone to one day express itself by throwing over the oppressive, ill-run apparatus that governs so much of their lives (management, government, judges, you name it). You can take it or leave it, but this stuff is here.

Only somewhat more central to the action than the other actors, Washington and Pine spar with enjoyable attitude and humor, and character actors like Suplee, Galvin, David Warshofsky (as Frank’s seasoned colleague) and Lew Temple, wonderful as a hopped-up rail employee bent on saving the day, bring plentiful color to this brawny, bruising ride that lives up to its title by accelerating from the very beginning and not letting up until the very end.

DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

18

business & Technology

Adidas sets targets to overtake Nike

By VICTORIA BRYAN FRANKFURT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; German sporting goods company Adidas aims to grow sales to 17 billion euros ($24 billion) by 2015, up two thirds on 2009 levels, as it strives to overtake market leader Nike. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our aspirations are to outperform total market growth ... to outgrow our major competitor and have the bottom line grow faster than the top line,â&#x20AC;? chief executive Herbert Hainer said on Monday in a presentation to analysts.

Last week, Adidas reported strong thirdquarter results, lifted

by U.S. and eastern European growth, and said it expected 2010 sales to grow 8 percent at constant currency rates from 10.4 billion euros ($14.6 billion) in 2009.

Nike recorded sales of $19 billion in its year to May 2010, though it is aiming to reach $27 billion by 2015, so it would still be ahead of Adidas if both met their targets.

Shares in Adidas were up 1.6 percent at 47.06 euros by 1342 GMT, one of the top gainers on Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

blue-chip index, although off earlier highs of 47.70 euros. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new strategy plan is very promising and is encouraging investors after strong results,â&#x20AC;? a trader at Frankfurtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alpha brokerage said.

Adidas, the world No. 2, said its key growth markets would be North America, Greater China, Russia/CIS, Latin America, Japan, Britain and India.

Hainer said 50 percent of sales growth would come from just three of these markets the United States, China and Russia.

In China, where it returned to growth in the third quarter after 18 months beset by overstocking and discounting, Adidas is double-digit eyeing percentage growth for each of the next five years, Hainer added.

Under the new strategic plan, named â&#x20AC;&#x153;Route 2015,â&#x20AC;? Adidas is targeting a compound annual earnings growth rate of 15 percent, faster than sales growth, and an operating margin of 11 percent by 2015 at the latest.

Hainer said the Adidas and Reebok brands would account for more

than 90 percent of the planned 45-50 percent increase in sales.

Erich Stamminger, global head of brands, said sales at the Adidas sport performance brand, aimed in particular at athletes, soccer and basketball players, would grow to 8.5 billion euros from 6.2 billion.

Sales at the other Adidas brands, which have more of a style and fashion focus, would grow to 3.7 billion euros from 2 billion, while Reebok sales would rise to 3 billion from 1.9 billion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just one of these divisions will be as big as the Number 3,â&#x20AC;?

Stamminger said, referring to local rival Puma, which last year

had sales of 2.5 billion euros.

Hainer also said Adidas, which acquired Reebok in 2006, would continue to play a role in consolidation of the sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It stands to reason that the Adidas group will continue in its role as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Consolidator-inChiefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, taking market share through organic growth or exploring other business opportunities if they align with the strategic brand priorities,â&#x20AC;? he said.

He reiterated though that Adidas was not interested in buying any outdoor brands, following speculation the group would seek to buy German company Jack Wolfskin.

World Bank chief surprises with gold standard idea

LONDON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Leading floating currencies as a a short period of time,â&#x20AC;? ing dollars into emerg- currency. economies should con- successor to the Bretton said Ong Yi Ling, ana- ing markets in search of Zoellick was a senior sider adopting a modi- Woods fixed-exchange lyst at Phillip Futures in higher yields, and the official in the U.S. Treafied global gold stan- rate regime that broke Singapore, adding that potentially destabilizing sury at the time of the dard to guide currency down in the early gold prices barely react- impact of this, along 1985 Plaza and 1987 rates, World Bank presed to the comments. with big current Louvre Accords on )1 1970s.

38%/,&$7,21 3522)

ident Robert Zoellick The former U.S. trade Gold briefly hit a account deficits and rebalancing currencies $ULDQD

said in a surprise pro-72 representative, who record high /2$1 of surpluses as well as Chi- among major industriposal before a 38% '$7(6 potential- served in several Repub$1,398.35 an ounce in naâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reluctance to let the alized nations. He noted

7586725 /LQGD -RKQVRQ HW DO ly acrimonious G20 lican administrations, early trade on Monday yuan appreciate faster, that that phase of cur&217$&7 7UDF\ summit. said such a move â&#x20AC;&#x153;is on concerns of a contin- are set to dominate the rency coordination 'DLO\ &KDOOHQJH 4XHHQV

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Writing in1(:63$3(5 the Finan- likely to need to involve ued weakening dollar G20 debate. helped launch the

cial Times, Zoellick the dollar, the euro, the trend after the U.S. FedFrance, which takes Uruguay Round of

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bretton yen, the pound and (a eral Reserve last week over the G20 chair after world trade liberalizacalled for a Woods IIâ&#x20AC;? system of yuan) that moves acted to resume buying this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summit, tion negotiations.

3/($6( 9(5,)< 7+,6 $' )25 <285 1(:63$3(5 '2 127 5(7<3( 7+,6 $'

toward internationaliza- Treasuries. says it plans to work on While his opinion tion and then an open That policy has fed a new international article in the Financial NOTICE OF SALE capital account. acrimony among lead- monetary system to Times did not represent SUPREME COURT: COUNTY â&#x20AC;&#x153;The system should ing economies in the bring greater currency either U.S. or World OF QUEENS - U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS also consider employing Group of 20 in the run- stability.

Bank policy, it may TRUSTEE UNDER POOLING gold as an international up to their summit in Beijingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s central reflect a greater openAND SERVICING reference point of mar- Seoul on Wednesday bank chief has suggest- ness in Washington AGREEMENT DATED AS OF ket expectations about and Thursday. ed an alternative mone- than in the last two SEPTEMBER 1, 2006 MASTR ASSET BACKED SECURITIES inflation, deflation and China and Germany, tary system based on decades to some form of TRUST 2006-NC2 MORTGAGE future currency values,â&#x20AC;? major exporting using the International international currency PASS THROUGH he added. nations, have both Monetary Fundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spe- cooperation.

CERTIFICATES SERIES 2006-NC2 , Plaintiff, AGAINST Analysts were cau- decried the Fedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quanti- cial Drawing Rights, a â&#x20AC;&#x153;The dollar is losing LINDA JOHNSON, ET AL., tious. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Going forward tative easing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; effecnotional unit of value its relevance especially Defendant(s). Pursuant to a that would be some- tively printing money based on a basket of with the emergence of judgment of foreclosure and sale duly dated 7/13/2009, I, the thing that we could look â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which is weakening major currencies, Asia economies, so a undersigned Referee will sell at toward, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the dollar. instead of the dollar as more neutral benchpublic auction at the Queens going to happen within Investors are pump- the sole global reserve mark may be required.

County Courthouse Front Steps, 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, New York, on 12/3/2010 at 11:00 AM, premises known as 114-48 198th Street, a/k/a 141-48 198th Street a/k/a 141 and 48 198th Street, SAINT ALBANS, NY 11412. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the New York City, Borough of QUEENS, County of Queens and State of New York, Section, Block and Lot: Block: 11014 Lot: 29. Approximate amount of judgment $304,859.19 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #20154-08.

Pamela Jordan, Esq., Referee, SHAPIRO, DICARO & BARAK, LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff 250 Mile Crossing Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14624 Dated: 11/4/2010

Gold, amid all the recent uncertainty, is proving its worth,â&#x20AC;? said ANZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior commodity analyst Mark Pervan.

Gold retreated to around $1,390 an ounce by 1000 GMT as speculators booked profits.

Zoellick said a new monetary system would take time to develop and should be part of a package approach including possible changes in IMF rules to review capital as well as current account policies, and linking IMF monetary assessments to World Trade Organization obligations.

The dollar rose sharply on Monday as unwinding of dollar short positions that began with solid U.S. jobs data snowballed, pushing down the euro to its lowest level since the Fed embarked on fresh easing last week.

Chrysler posts net loss, boosts 2010 outlook DETROIT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Chrysler Group LLC posted a third-quarter net loss, but lifted its full-year outlook, spurred by results that were better than the company had forecast a year ago.

Chrysler, the U.S. automaker managed by Fiat SpA, reported a net loss of $84 million, compared with a net loss of $172 million in the second quarter of 2010.

Excluding the cost of $308 million in interest on loans and other expenses, the company posted an operating profit of $239 million.

Third-quarter revenue was about $11.02 billion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A year ago, Chrysler Group laid out clear and concise five-year financial goals and after three consecutive quarters of better-than-forecasted results, we are not only

living up to our commitments, but we are also exceeding our 2010 financial objectives,â&#x20AC;?

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a statement.

The automakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s results come a year after it unveiled an ambitious five-year turnaround plan during a marathon eight-hour session at its Auburn Hills, Michigan headquarters.

Chrysler now pro-

jects an operating profit of $700 million for 2010, up from its previous outlook of breakeven to as much as $200 million. It sees free cash flow of $500 million, up from its previous forecast of a shortfall of $1 billion.

The automaker forecast 2010 revenue of $42 billion for the year, at the midpoint of its earlier range of $40 billion to $45 billion.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the year is expected to be $3.3 billion, up from its earlier outlook of $2.5 billion to $2.7 billion.

Chrysler is launching 16 new and refreshed vehicles, including the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Fiat 500, in a bid to seize market share in the United States.

DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

19

business & Technology

Obama returns fire after China slams Fed’s move

By PATRICIA ZENGERLE and KRITTIVAS MUKHERJEE NEW DELHI — President Barack Obama defended the Federal Reserve’s policy of printing dollars on Monday after China and Russia stepped up criticism ahead of this week’s Group of 20 meeting.

The G20 summit has been pitched as a chance for leaders of countries that the account for 85 percent of world output to prevent a currency row escalating into a rush to protectionism that could imperil the global recovery.

But there is little sign of consensus.

The summit has been overshadowed by disagreements over the U.S. Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing (QE) policy under which it will print money to buy $600 billion of government bonds, a move that could depress the dollar and cause a potentially destabilizing flow of money into emerging economies.

“I will say that the Fed’s mandate, my mandate, is to grow our economy. And that’s not just good for the United States, that’s good for the world as a whole,” Obama said during a trip to India.

“And the worst thing that could happen to the world economy, not just ours, is if we end up being stuck with no growth or very limited growth,” he said.

European Central Bank President JeanClaude Trichet said all participants at a meeting of the world’s central bankers in Basel, Switzerland had insisted they were not pursuing weak currency policies.

“We’re attached to

avoiding excessive volatility. It’s very counterproductive for global growth and global stability,” he told a news conference.

Washington has frequently criticized China, saying it deliberately undervalues its currency to boost exports.

China says the United States, via the Fed, is engaged in the same thing that it stands accused of, and some emerging nations have already acted to curb their currencies’ rise.

Resentment abroad stems from worry that Fed pump-priming will hasten the U.S. dollar’s slide and cause their currencies to shoot up in value, setting the

stage for asset bubbles and making a future burst of inflation more likely.

“As a major reserve currency issuer, for the United States to launch a second round of quantitative easing at this time, we feel that it did not recognize its responsibility to stabilize global markets and did not think about the impact of excessive liquidity on emerging markets,” Chinese Finance Vice Minister Zhu Guangyao said on Monday.

The Fed’s quantitative easing policy was unveiled last week to jeers from emerging market powerhouses from Latin America to Asia. Russia renewed

Fed divided on bond buying risks/benefits

By KRISTINA COOKE Top officials at the Federal Reserve on Monday sounded differing notes on the central bank’s bond-buying program, with one arguing it was an effective way to fight deflation risks and another warning it might need to be curbed.

The remarks from St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard, Dallas Fed chief Richard Fisher, Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and Thomas Hoenig of the Kansas City Fed underscored tensions within the central bank over the wisdom of the decision to buy a further $600 billion in government debt.

“While this policy carries both risks and

rewards ... the benefits outweigh the risks,” Bullard told a group of securities analysts in New York.

He said worries the policy could create high inflation down the road were “legitimate and important,” but added that the disinflationary trend “is worrisome right now.”

The central bank’s decision has sparked an unusually vocal public debate among Fed officials, while drawing the ire of many other nations, which worry the United States is deliberately undercutting the dollar.

Warsh, who like Bullard backed the new Fed program in a vote last week, expressed concern about the decision. He said he would have preferred the adoption of “pro-growth fis-

cal, regulatory and trade policies” to spur growth.

Fisher said the program would only work if lawmakers addressed the fiscal and regulatory uncertainties that he said were holding back businesses from expanding.

“I would suggest that even if you share my cautious perspective on this matter, you might be assuaged by looking at this new initiative as a bridge loan to fiscal sanity,” he told a meeting of financial professionals in San Antonio.

Warsh emphasized that the policy would be subject to regular review and adjusted if needed, and he raised the prospect that rising inflation risks could lead the central bank to curb the program even with unemployment

still painfully high.

“If the recent weakness in the dollar, runup in commodity prices and other forward-looking indicators are sustained and passed along into final prices, the Fed’s price stability objective might no longer be a compelling policy rationale,” he said.

“Policies should be altered if certain objectives are satisfied, purported benefits disappoint, or potential risks threaten to materialize,” Warsh said.

However, Bullard said his best guess was that the full amount would be purchased by mid-2011, as announced. “Given the outlook now ... it looks like we will follow through on that and reassess at that point,” he said in an interview

its assault on Monday.

“Russia’s president will insist .... that such actions are taken with preliminary consultations with other members of the global economy,” said Arkady Dvorkovich, a Russian official who is preparing the country’s position in Seoul.

Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Hirohide Yamaguchi said on Monday that it too was ready to boost its asset-buying scheme if it saw clear signs of a downturn. Worth 5 trillion yen ($62 billion), it is so far just a tenth the size of the Fed’s.

India is Obama’s first stop in a 10-day trip to Asia that will include Indonesia and Japan.

He will arrive in Seoul for the November 11-12 summit weakened by a crushing congressional election defeat for his Democratic Party and under fire from all sides. Germany described U.S. economic policy as “clueless” last week.

The U.S. has already all but dropped its centerpiece proposal for the G20 — a measure that would cap current account balances at 4 percent of gross domes-

tic product, something economists said was clearly aimed at China.

At the weekend, U.S. Secretary Treasury Timothy Geithner backed away from the numerical target that had been rejected by China, Germany, Japan and others in a sign that global financial power had slipped from U.S. hands.

On Monday, he was putting on a brave face, saying China was supportive of the G20’s framework for rebalancing the global economy, and that he expected broad consensus on it at the summit.

The risk of a negative outcome in Seoul appears to be increasing, or at the very least, an agreement that merely papers over the huge gaps and allows countries to pursue their own economic policies whether it be intervening in currency markets like South Korea and Japan or printing dollars.

“Judging by the critical response of emerging market governments to QE, the likelihood of a ceasefire in the currency war is slim,” RBC Capital markets said in a report.

with Market News International published yesterday.

Many economists think the Fed could eventually decide to push beyond the $600 billion in purchases announced last week, notwithstanding differing views within the central bank.

Bullard said the U.S. recovery had slowed, putting it in a disinflationary trend that needed to be addressed to avoid a debilitating bout of deflation. He said the unconventional bondbuying program should prove as effective as traditional policy.

Warsh, likewise, said the economy’s performance has been unimpressive. In contrast, Hoenig, the only official to vote against the Fed’s decision last week, emphasized his view that the conditions were already in place for a quickening of economic growth.

The Fed’s decision to add to the $1.7 trillion in government and mortgage-related debt it has already bought has driven down the value of the dollar and drawn scathing comments from countries that see the United States pushing for an export edge.

In response to an audience question about complaints by countries such as China and Germany about the Fed’s decision, Bullard said the U.S. central bank must act to fulfill its mandate of price stability and full employment.

“You can’t have other people around the world calling the shots on that mandate,” he said.

Warsh, however, said heightened tensions in currency and capital markets raised the risk of a more difficult and protracted global economic recovery, and said these long-term risks need to be taken into account.

GAMESNUMBERS

20

DAILY CHALLENGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

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Your Horoscope ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) Be careful while traveling. You will get great satisfaction from your efforts. Based on your excitement, serious-minded individuals will be more than interested in backing your ideas.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) You may meet that special person if you attend fundraising functions. Use your high energy and dynamic approach to win favors from superiors. Changes in your domestic scene are apparent.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Talk to others about your plans. You need an outlet that will not only stimulate you but also challenge your intelligence as well. You may come down with minor infections if you have allowed yourself to get rundown.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) Drastic changes regarding your personal attitude are evident. You will enjoy travel and getting together with peers. You will meet a person who may turn out to be more than just a friend.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Difficulties at an emotional level may be likely. Romance may be likely if you travel. You would be best to work late in order to avoid such disharmony.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Do not allow colleagues to hinder your ambitions.

Opportunities to get together with people in powerful positions could help you get ahead. Try to satisfy both of your needs.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Verbal abuse may lead to walkouts; don't make any

rash statements you may regret later. You will accomplish the most in the work environment today. Don't use the interstate as a racetrack.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Partnerships with creative people could lead to financial gains. Relatives will not agree with the way you are dealing with your personal problems. You can make money if you're willing to push your ideas on those in a position to support your efforts.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) You need some help today. Children may be less than honest with you. Offer consolation, but don't give them any direction.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) You may need a physical outlet that will help you relieve your tension. Younger relatives may seek your advice. The great outdoors will allow you to teach youngsters some of the things you learned when growing up.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) Secret information will be eye opening. Ask those in key positions to help you overcome the delays and to support your concerns in order to move on. Your emotions will be touched off concerning recent encounters with your lover.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Do not push your opinions or try to reform your emotional partner today. Be sure that you have all the facts before you take action. You can pick up information that will give you an edge.

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Even at 5-2, Heat know the process is continuing

By TIM REYNOLDS MIAMI - Chris Bosh was the No. 1 scoring option in Toronto for most of his seven seasons, just as LeBron James was in Cleveland and Dwyane Wade was in Miami over that span.

Times have changed.

When they’re on the court together, someone has to be a No. 2 or No. 3 option for the Heat, a role that none of them has held in years. And even after starting 5-2 in Miami, the “Big 3” say making that adjustment an ongoing process - may be the biggest challenge for a team that has championship aspirations.

“Sometimes, I get a little lost out there,” Bosh acknowledged Saturday night. “This is different. We have a system, but at the same time, when the game’s happening so fast sometimes I just get lost. I don’t know whether to cut, whether to go, whether to get back and play with those two talented guys. It happens real fast.”

So Bosh sought out James on the Heat charter flight home from New Orleans after a threepoint loss on Friday night. The chat was wide-ranging, but mostly revolved around how they could best complement each other and further integrate themselves into a Heat system that has been built around Wade for nearly a decade.

The initial results of their conversation were promising, to

say the least. Wade scored 29 points, James had 23 and Bosh had 21 in Saturday night’s win over New Jersey, the first game where the three of them all topped the 20-point plateau this season.

“I didn’t really care about whether they each were scoring over 20 points,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It was more about being aggressive, being athletic, being quick and they all had a different disposition.”

Spoelstra doesn’t buy into the notions of No. 1 option, No. 2 option, so on and so forth.

In the Heat philosophy, if someone’s open, he’s the No. 1 option. When Bosh started Saturday’s game by missing three shots in a 2-minute stretch, Spoelstra grabbed him and advised him to keep shooting.

Bosh was 6 for 9 from the floor the rest of the way.

“I was actually encouraged by his aggressiveness,” Spoelstra said. “That’s who he is. We can’t take that away from any of our guys.”

The Heat were off on Sunday.

They return to practice Monday morning, then host the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.

To be clear, there was no rift between Bosh and James, nor any angst over how many shots they or anyone else on the Heat is getting. Bosh is taking about five fewer shots per night than he averaged in his final two seasons in Toronto, while James is firing off roughly six less attempts than he averaged with the Cavaliers.

From the night they signed with Miami, Wade, James and Bosh all have said they wouldn’t care about stats, and so far that rings true.

“What I got out of the whole conversation was us getting to know each other on a more personal level,” James said. “When you can do that it makes the game much easier. ... He was able to open up to me and I was able to listen and get a good feel where he is coming from. I know a lot about D-Wade. I have had multiple conversations with him over the years. Our cohesiveness on the court is great.”

Bigger than any victory for Miami so far has likely been the fact that while the offensive pieces are still getting put together at times, the Heat defense is already working - to Spoelstra’s delight.

Miami is one of three teams, Orlando and New Orleans being the others, who haven’t allowed any opponent to top the 100point mark so far this season.

Given that, it’s only a matter of time for the offense to get rolling, Wade said.

“It’s only been seven games,” Wade said. “We can look at the next seven as hopefully being better than we were in the first seven. ... If you’ve seen some of our practices, man, we get after each other in practice and (Spoelstra) wants us to bring that same intensity to every game. Some nights, he’s not looking for offense to really be at a point where it’s dominant until it’s 20, 30 games down the road.”

Bobcats’ Jackson fined $50,000 for verbal abuse

By MIKE CRANSTON CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Charlotte Bobcats guard Stephen Jackson became the latest target of the NBA’s crackdown on behavior when he was fined $50,000 on Saturday for verbally abusing the

referees after a loss a technical foul by refer- said officials were to Detroit a night ee Steve Javie late in the “reading his lips,” an third quarter Friday, account seconded by earlier.

A defiant Jackson called the punishment undeserved and is considering an appeal.

“Everybody should be shocked - $50,000?”

Jackson said. “If you all saw what happened, $50,000, that’s a lot of money. But welcome to the life of Stephen Jackson.”

Jackson was hit with

complaining he was fouled on a made basket. The fine was for his actions after the Pistons finished off a 97-90 victory.

“After the game, he made inappropriate comments towards the game officials,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said, declining to give further details.

Jackson, though,

Charlotte coach Larry Brown.

“I walked off the court upset about the outcome of the game,” Jackson said. “I guess they had a camera following me all the way to the tunnel and I wasn’t even in sight of the referees and read my lips. I guess I can’t talk to myself. I got fined for talking to myself.”

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SPORTS BRIEFS Michigan expects QB Denard Robinson to play Purdue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says he expects quarterback Denard Robinson to play against Purdue this Saturday.

Robinson didn’t play after the third quarter of Saturday’s 67-65 triple-overtime win against Illinois. Rodriguez says Robinson passed a series of tests after he had symptoms of a concussion with headaches and dizziness. He should be ready for the Boilermakers.

He has run for 1,349 yards and is 146 away from breaking the major college record for yards rushing by a QB. Air Force’s Beau Morgan had 1,494 yards rushing in 1996.

Robinson has been knocked out of three games this season. He had injured his left knee against Bowling Green and hurt his right shoulder against Iowa.

Magic’s Jameer Nelson out with injury ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic will be without starting point guard Jameer Nelson against Atlanta on Monday night because of a sprained left ankle.

Nelson was hurt late in Friday’s win against New Jersey and missed the team’s win at Charlotte on Friday. Chris Duhon will again start in his place, and Jason Williams will serve as the backup.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy says they hope to get Nelson back for Wednesday’s game against Utah but it is more likely to be Friday against Toronto.

The good news for the Magic: Vince Carter will start against Atlanta Monday night. Carter had strained his right hip in a hard fall late in the victory at Charlotte.

Police investigate Villanova freshman altercation VILLANOVA, Pa. - Villanova forward JayVaughn Pinkston was involved in an altercation that led to an assault report early Sunday, police said, while the school acknowledged it was reviewing what happened.

Villanova issued a statement Monday saying it had been “made of aware of an incident” involving the freshman, but offering no details. The school said it had been in contact with Upper Merion Township authorities and was gathering information.

Detective Sgt. Jeffrey Maurer said Upper Merion police responded to Bryn Mawr Hospital at the request of another police agency early Sunday morning for an assault report involving this case. He said there is an investigation into an altercation in a residential area of the township and that there have been no arrests.

“By the end of the week well have an answer,” he said. “This isn’t something we’re going to rush to make a decision on.”

While the review is ongoing, the school will make no additional comment. Villanova coach Jay Wright was not immediately available for comment.

Pinkston, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was named a McDonald’s All-American at Bishop Loughlin. He was named New York’s Player of the Year as a senior.

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Wall is still learning, but he’s the right guy to lead

By JOHN SCHUHMANN NEW YORK — It’s the job of a sports talk radio host to have a strong opinion. You probably don’t get far in that field by keeping an open mind or speaking in shades of grey.

Better to have your listeners strongly disagree with you than to display a rational understanding of both sides of an argument.

The truth is often the victim in that kind of black-or-white, yay-ornay environment. And ESPN Radio host Colin Cowherd’s rant against Wizards point guard John Wall on Wednesday was a special kind of ignorance.

In the wake of Wall’s historical performance — 29 points, 13 assists and nine steals — in Tuesday’s home opener, Cowherd chose to focus his commentary on Wall’s pre-game dance and eight turnovers. He contrasted Wall to Rajon Rondo, who dished out 17 assists without a single turnover the same night.

“Rajon’s got rings,” Cowherd said. “Wall will never have one.”

The ignorance went far beyond the fact that has Rondo committed eight turnovers in a game as recently as last Christmas.

Cowherd had seen enough to call Wall selfish and “not a sharp guy.”

Those of us who have watched Wall closely and spoken to his coaches and teammates know better. In seven preseason games and four that count, Wall has displayed leadership, unselfishness and intelligence to go along with his all-world talent. The No. 1 pick has been given the job of turning the Wizards franchise around, and by all accounts, he’s up to the task.

Gilbert Arenas made his regular season debut for the Wizards at Madison Square Garden on Friday, playing in a game that counts for the first time since he was suspended for the remainder of the 200910 season in January.

Arenas knows that, coming back, he’s now a complementary player. And the role change is less about himself than it is about Wall. So when Arenas finally took the floor on Friday, he was just trying to stay out of the way.

“I didn’t want to interfere with what John’s been doing, because he’s been playing phenomenal basketball,” Arenas said. “I didn’t want, once I got on the court, for him to think he needs to focus on me.”

As the point guard, it’s Wall’s duty to get all of his teammates involved in the offense.

And his 9.5 assists per game are evidence that

Although his game isn't spotless, rookie John Wall has shown many flashes of excellence.

Photo/Fernando Medina he’s doing just that. But Wall picked up five teammates. Through defenses to play him the 17 turnovers he’s first-quarter assists by four games, Wall has more honestly in the committed in the last just making the simple 38 assists, while the half-court.

“When he has the two games are evidence pass. He didn’t try to rest of the Wizards have ball, I just watch and that he’s learning that thread the needle or just 32.

“We don’t trust each see what he’s going to there isn’t necessarily a make any spectacular play to be made on drive-and-dish moves. other enough offensive- do next,” Arenas said.

He’s not alone. And Everything was just ly,” Saunders said. every possession.

“His greatest simple pick and pop “When John gets rid of at this point, the strength can be his action and straightfor- the ball, whoever gets it Wizards couldn’t be greatest weakness,” ward passes to open thinks they have to happier with the No. 1 Wizards coach Flip shooters. His team- make something hap- pick. Though his game Saunders said Friday. mates were making pen. And we don’t make still needs work, Wall is the right guy to turn “He’s so competitive and shots and the Wizards’ that second pass.”

That’s when things the franchise around. he knows he can make offense was clicking.

“He’s extremely go downhill and when He’s ready to lead and plays. When things go bad, he wants to try to unselfish,” Saunders Wall tries to do too his teammates are willing to follow. make something hap- said. “He’s going to give much.

“I just want to keep Now, the rookie is pen. He’s got into the the ball up when he has situation the last couple to and he’ll always try still going to make NBA improving myself and of games where he’s to make the right play.” TV’s top 10 on a weekly improving as a team,” Wall’s willingness to basis. His speed and Wall said. “The main trying to create something when there’s take what the defense ability to finish at the thing is helping this gives him is a rare trait rim make him impossi- organization as much nothing there.”

Things were going among young point ble to stop on the break. as I can. And my teamjust fine early on in guards. But it’s not one And eventually, his mates are willing to do will force the same thing.”

New York on Friday. shared by most of his jumper

Resilient Hornets shake off uncertainty to rise once again

By DAVID ALDRIDGE It is the time for caveats, and disclaimers.

Such as: We’re less than two weeks into the regular season.

It would be ridiculous to try to divine long-range meaning into a handful of games. Too many road trips, too many injuries, too many emergings and sub-

mergings yet to come to think we know something real before Thanksgiving. (Other than the Lakers appear unbeatable, unless they get hurt or bored.)

Having said that, what great beginnings in New Orleans and Denver, two franchises that have been under siege for weeks, with their signature players making it clear that they’d like to be elsewhere, and right soon.

The Nuggets and Carmelo Anthony have held things together for now, and that’s a surprise. But Denver has proven veterans at key spots, and a veteran coach in George Karl. And the Nuggets have something in the way of a history. There will be basketball in the Mile High after Anthony leaves town, even if it’s a diminished brand.

New Orleans, by con-

trast, is always a work in progress, always seemingly trying to recover from the latest catastrophe.

The Hornets have been a resilient franchise since moving from Charlotte in 2002. They’ve withstood the public embarassments of their current owner, George Shinn, a two-year move to Oklahoma City after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the deteriorating performance of

key players like Peja Stojakovic. But this year’s one-two-three punch — the Super Bowl drive of the city’s favorite sons, the Saints, the ousting of the team’s former management team of Byron Scott and Jeff Bower, followed this summer by the disclosure of Chris Paul’s desire to be dealt — looked like sledgehammer blows.

The team’s senior leaders had a plan, but

it involved that old chestnut, changing the culture. And the changers were two unproven first-timers in their respective jobs — Dell Demps as general manager, replacing Bower, and Monty Williams as coach, who stepped in for Bower after he had been forced to finish the season on the bench last season after Scott was fired. The Bugs then went 1-7 in the preseason.

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Allen Iverson arrives in Turkey SPO RTS BRIEFS Kings’ Wright apologizes for DUI arrest

ISTANBUL — Former NBA star Allen Iverson arrived in Istanbul on Monday to begin a stint with Turkish club Besiktas, promising to give fans “something they haven’t seen before.”

Dozens of fans greeted the 11time All-Star at Ataturk Airport.

Sporting a Besiktas jersey and a Philadelphia Phillies hat, Iverson waved at fans from inside his car before being driven to his hotel.

Iverson, who agreed to a $4 million, two-year contract with Besiktas, is the Turkish league’s biggest signing. He has called his move to the Istanbul club “a chance to get back on track with my basketball career” after no NBA team was willing to offer him a contract this season.

Many see his stint in Turkey as a test of his ability to revive his NBA career because teams are likely to monitor Iverson’s performance and behavior at Besiktas. The guard has said he still believes he can play in the NBA and hopes his performance in Europe will lead to another chance next season.

His career has been troubled by numerous run-ins with coaches and team officials. He’s also had several legal problems that landed him on probation.

Iverson is expected to make his debut with Besiktas on Nov. 13 when the team plays Oyak Renault at its home arena that seats about 4,500 fans. The club hasn’t won the Turkish league since 1975.

“They were great,” Iverson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Sacramento Kings forward Antoine Wright was arrested Thursday night for driving under the influence, the team said Friday.

told NTV sports channel of the cheering Besiktas fans who welcomed him at the airport, adding that “the most important thing is to be accepted, to be wanted and to be appreciated.”

Iverson urged fans to come out and support the team. The player also said he would be “interacting” with the fans as much as possible.

“Before I leave, I’ll be speaking a lot of Turkish,” he said.

Iverson is 17th on the NBA’s career scoring list with 24,368 points, winning the Most Valuable Player award in 2001 when he led the Philadelphia 76ers to the finals. He spent 10 seasons in Philadelphia before

moving to Denver and Detroit, ending up in Memphis last season.

He only played three games before returning for a second stint with the Sixers, where he averaged 13.9 points in 25 games. He took a leave of absence toward the end of the season to deal with some family matters.

Iverson was initially due in Istanbul on Saturday, but his arrival was delayed by two days, and a pre-match celebration of his signing at the arena was postponed. Besiktas said a light and music show to welcome Iverson will take place on Tuesday.

In Year 3, Hibbert looks ready to play the part of big man Roy Hibbert seemed almost eager Wednesday night to let the world know how thoroughly unacceptable the Indiana Pacers’ performance at Philadelphia had been in their 101-75 beatdown by the 76ers. He was waiting for Mike Wells, beat writer for the Indianapolis Star, when the lockerroom door swung open to media at Wells Fargo Center

in Philadelphia.

The team in that locker room had some ‘splainin’ to do, losing in such an embarrassing fashion four days after handling Philadelphia by 13 points at Conseco Fieldhouse, and Hibbert was determined to be the man to do it.

“It was really pathetic,” the Pacers center said. “People have to be held accountable. We have to run the system.

When we run it, we’re good. When we don’t, we lose like this ... We were horrible.

We weren’t running our

sets. We weren’t getting out and running. We were’t cutting and moving. This wasn’t Pacers basketball. I thought we just took three steps back, in my opinion.”

Hibbert’s we-a culpa didn’t stop there. Soon enough, “Hoya2aPacer” was apologizing to his greater Twitter community: “I am sorry Indiana. That was not Pacer basketball. What u saw is not acceptable and we r not gonna let this be the norm. We can do better!”

Hibbert already is.

For the past few months, the focus has been on Hibbert’s physi-

cal and basketball development, areas in which he has made impressive strides. His body fat is down, his strength is up and while he still looks a few sandwiches light through the hips and thighs to consistently hold his position in the low post, he was making good on all the happy projections.

Through the Pacers’ first three games, the former Georgetown standout — my preseason pick to be chosen Most Improved Player — had averaged 18.3 points, 10 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.67 blocks.

- Steve Aschburner

The Kings, who have a home game Saturday against Memphis, issued a statement of apology from Wright. Wright’s attorney, Bill Portanova, said in the team statement that his client is cooperating fully with police in nearby Rocklin.

“I’m sorry for having gotten myself into this situation,” Wright said through the team. “I sincerely apologize to my teammates and coaches, the Sacramento Kings organization, the Sacramento community and fans and my family.”

Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie did not say whether Wright would face a suspension, but rather that the team would wait to see the legal process out.

“We are extremely disappointed in the situation Antoine has created for himself and the organization,” Petrie said. “There certainly has been no shortage of education and/or resources made available to our players in regard to these types of dangerous behaviors. We will, however, respect his right of due process at this time.”

Wright has appeared in two of Sacramento’s five games, but hasn’t scored in averaging 1.4 minutes.

Less than a month ago, George Maloof Jr. — brother of Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof and owner of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas — spent a night in jail after being arrested near his Las Vegas home on suspicion of drunken driving.

Percy Harvin explains dispute Percy Harvin said his heated dispute with Brad Childress last Friday was over an MRI the Minnesota Vikings receiver didn’t want to take but that he and the coach are “fine” now.

“We had a little dispute,” Harvin said, according to the Star Tribune. “It wasn’t what people thought it was about. It was about whether I was going to get an MRI or not. It was a little dispute, but we settled it. Me and Coach are fine.”

Team sources told ESPN’s Ed Werder that the confrontation between Harvin and Childress grew so heated Friday afternoon that coaches and players were forced to separate them to prevent a physical exchange.

Childress questioned Harvin’s effort during the practice, sources told Werder. When Harvin took exception, Childress suggested Harvin submit to further testing on the ankle. The debate escalated and “was as close to physical as you can get,” according to a source.

“I just didn’t think nothing was significantly wrong with it,” Harvin said, according to the Star Tribune. “I just didn’t want to go.”

After the two were separated, according to sources, a teammate told Harvin: “You just did what a lot of us have been wanting to say for years.”

Harvin had further testing on the ankle Saturday morning and was activated for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Harvin had nine catches for a career-high 126 yards Sunday in the Vikings’ overtime win.

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HEAT KNOW THE ALLEN IVERSON R V E S A R I I N PROCESS IS T K E Y U R CONTINUING Former NBA star Allen Iverson arrived in Istanbul yesterday to begin a stint with Turkish club Besiktas, promising to give fans “something they haven’t seen before.”

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